


Heathens

by toxzen



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mob, Blindfolds, Choking, Light BDSM, M/M, Mafia AU, Masturbation, Safe Sane and Consensual, Thug!Eren, mafia, thug!levi, two levis is better than one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2017-04-29
Packaged: 2018-07-24 17:47:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 20
Words: 54,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7517557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toxzen/pseuds/toxzen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Picked up at a young age, Eren became the unruly charge of the renowned gang member, Levi Ackerman. With a penchant for fits of rage, Eren is a force to be reckoned with, one that can only be tamed by Levi. However, when Eren is forced to move out, he has to learn to fend for himself. On top of this, the sudden appearance of someone from Levi's past serves to complicate things further<br/>-----<br/>aka mafia au (i'll probably expand the summary once i get a better idea for the plot of the fic)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just have the epilogue for my other ereri piece to write so i decided to get my second idea rolling! mafia aus/mafia yaoi in general are always so much fun!  
> i hope everyone enjoys this first chapter~ let me know in the comments~

**Eren’s POV**

 

A fist cracked against the side of my face. The blow carried considerably more strength than the ones I had already endured. My head snapped to the side and I fell to my knees. I snarled. Long fingers tangled in my hair and my face was pinned to the wet concrete.

“How many times do I have to tell?” A cold voice hissed above me. “Act like a dog; get beat like a dog.” The hand pulled me off the concrete by my hair and twisted my head around to face my assailant.

Levi’s dark gray eyes regarded me with no emotion. His pale, angled face was devoid of expression as well. His hair fell perfectly straight around his face. He crouched in front of me. He was dressed in a crisp suit, which made him look completely out of place compared to the grimy alleyway we were in. 

A low growl rose in my chest. Anger still roiled inside of me. I lunged at him, but he held me in place by my hair. He slammed my face into the concrete in front of his feet. Dirty rain water splashed onto the hem of his pants and I heard him _tsk_. He lifted my face again and brought his other hand to my cheek. He stroked it gently. 

“Calm down, Eren,” he murmured quietly.

I released a heavy breath and closed my eyes. Slowly, my blood ceased boiling in my veins. Levi’s comforting presence hovered over me and I managed to force down the anger. I blinked my eyes open and stared up at him.

“Better?” he asked.

I nodded, which caused my hair to tug in his grip. I winced slightly. He relinquished his grip on me and rose to his feet. He glanced over his shoulder at the bodies that littered the alley behind him.

“I really let you go this time,” he said with a shake of his head. “I should have reigned you in sooner. You almost killed that guy.” He jerked his head toward one of the men. 

I stared down at my hands. The skin of my knuckles were broken and bloody. Now that the adrenaline had faded from my system, pain was beginning to take its place, as well as exhaustion. My muscles felt heavy and my face ached where Levi had struck me with his fist. 

Levi was my handler. It was his job to keep me in a check when I went on a rampage like the one I’d just had. He was the only one who could pull me out of a rage. His methods were unorthodox and involved beating me, but I was grateful that these methods worked to restrain my anger. I often wished that I could pull myself out of my rages, but if I could, then there would be no point for me to stay with Levi, and I couldn’t bear the thought of parting from him. I was useful because when I was in one of those violent moods, I could take out up to eight assailants at a time.

“What’s that face for?” Levi said as he reached out and petted my hair. “You did a good job.”

I looked up at him with wide eyes and smiled at his praise. Levi shook his head and held out his hand.

“Don’t give me that puppy dog face, brat,” he said. “I got my hands dirty because of you.” Blood from the wound he’d opened on my cheek stained the back of his hand.

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly. I leaned forward and licked the blood off his knuckles.

“Disgusting,” Levi said. “Now it’s dirtier.” He pulled the handkerchief out of the breast pocket of his suit and wiped the back of his hand. 

“I’m sorry,” I said again, hanging my head.

“Don’t pout,” Levi said. He caught my arm and hauled me to my feet. “Come on. Let’s get back to the apartment and get you cleaned up.”

“What about them?” I asked, nodding toward the men I left unconscious in the wake of my anger. 

“Leave them,” Levi said as he set off down the alleyway. “You didn’t kill anyone this time, so we don’t need a clean up crew.”

“What did they mean when they said Erwin cut their boss out?” I asked as I scampered after Levi.

Erwin was Levi's and my boss. He was the head of the organization we worked for. He also controlled a vast majority of Trost’s drug trade. To the laymen, he appeared to be a respectable club owner and businessman. 

“Not sure,” Levi said, “but they pissed me off.” 

As we reached the main street, he pulled his phone out of his pocket. 

“I’ll text him and let him know what happened.” 

“I recognized them,” I said. “Weren’t they members of our gang?” 

The faces of the men I’d attacked had been familiar to me, but as soon as Levi had given me the order to take them out, that hadn’t mattered. My body had moved as directed by him, and as soon as my first blow landed, the anger had erupted inside of me. It was impossible for me to reign myself in once that happened, only Levi could do that.

“Yes, a couple of low-level punks,” Levi said. “I think they work under Oruo. That was probably who they were referring to when they mentioned their boss. Oruo was running drugs for Erwin until Erwin found out he was skimming off the top and cut him off.” 

Levi’s brows were furrowed. I recognized this expression as his thinking face. He didn’t get as destructively angry as I did, but when someone pissed him off, he would sometimes act without thinking. He hadn’t thought through what those guys had said to him before he’d set me on them. They’d been making jabs at his undying loyalty to Erwin. Everyone knew that Levi would get down on his knees and lick Erwin’s shoes clean if the man asked, but those guys had been stupid enough to say it.

“Why didn’t Erwin have Oruo killed when he found he was cheating him?” I asked.

“Oruo also works on the debt collecting side of things,” Levi explained. “He’s a good asset in that regard. Erwin’s giving him another chance.”

This was a rare occurrence where Erwin was concerned. Usually when someone crossed him, he took them out without a second thought. His ruthless nature was the reason he had become such a powerful member of the Triad and thus the leader of the Wings, which was a sub-group of Darius Zackly's Triad. This was also why he had remained in that position. He was also one of the few candidates for succeeding Zackly when the man finally stepped down from his position as leader, or was killed, which ever came first.

We walked in silence for some time as heavy rain drops splattered over us. I stuffed my hands into my pockets and shivered. I got cold rather easily and I hadn't dressed particularly well for the rain since I hadn't been expecting it.

“Levi, can we order Chinese food tonight?” I asked as we mounted the staircase that clung to the front of our apartment building. 

“We can,” Levi said. He pulled out his keys and spun the ring on his finger as he walked to our door.

“Awesome,” I said excitedly.

“You need to shower first and put your clothes in the laundry.” Levi unlocked the door and held it open for me.

“I know,” I said as I walked inside. I slipped my shoes off and set them on the shoe rack. 

Levi’s phone rang. He fished it out as he toed off his loafers. He answered it with a clipped ‘Erwin’ as he walked past me. I closed the door and slid the deadbolt in place. 

“They were just pissed about the situation with Oruo, I guess,” Levi was saying as I followed him down the hall.

I stopped by the laundry closet and stripped. I tossed everything including my jacket into the washer. Every article of clothing I had been wearing had mud and blood on them, accept for my underwear, but I put that in the wash too. 

“No, it was plenty of reason to set Eren on them,” Levi said. He dropped onto the couch and loosened his tie. “No, he didn’t get hurt. Well, maybe a little. I’ll check.” Levi glanced over at me. He crooked his finger and I walked to his side. “Are you hurt at all, Eren?” he asked as his eyes roamed over my naked body.

“I’m fine,” I said with a bright flush. I looked down at the floor. “Just my knuckles are cut up and my cheek.”

“He’s fine,” Levi said as he looked away. 

I hurried into the bathroom and closed the door behind me. Levi’s cold, gray gaze had had the expected effect on me. I swore quietly as I gazed down at my stiffening member. _How embarrassing,_ I chided myself as I climbed into the shower. I turned the water on to its coldest setting, hoping the low temperature would shock the boner out of my system. We’d been sleeping together for almost a year and yet one glance from him was enough to make me tent my pants. 

The cold water didn’t have an effect and I ended up masturbating to the thought of Levi. I even fingered my own ass a little to make myself come faster. I stifled my voice by biting my shoulder. 

When I had finished and cleaned myself up under the stream of water, I climbed out of the shower and grabbed a towel. I dried off and took the first aide kit out of the medicine cabinet. I tied the towel around my waist and took the kit out to Levi.

He had just hung up the phone when I walked into the living room. I crossed to the coffee table in front of him and sat down. He held out his hands and I passed the first aide kit to him. He worked in silence. This was a habitual part of our day after I had gotten into a fight. When I was angry, I was always reckless with my blows and ended up messing up my hands. My knuckles were covered in scars packed on top of each other since I continuously reopened them. 

Levi’s cold fingers ghosted over my hands as he wrapped my injuries in gauze. I stared at his hands as he worked. Puckered burn scars decorated the backs of his hands. He’d had those scars for as long as I had known him and I’d never asked about them. Those weren’t the only scars he bore, but I didn’t ask about the others either.

When he had finished with my hands, he gently cleaned the cut on my cheek that he had caused and put a small bandaid over it.

“All set,” Levi said when he finished up. “I’ll order now. Put on a movie or something.” He stood up and ruffled my hair as he crossed the room and went out onto the balcony. He took out a cigarette and lit it before calling in the food order.

* * *

Levi and I hadn’t slept together last night. This wasn’t unusual for us. Levi’s mood always swung between being ridiculously horny all the time to not feeling an ounce of sexual desire. Last night he had been the latter mood. He had also been in this mood for the past two weeks, which meant I was incredibly frustrated. It would be well-worth it when we finally had sex again, however. It would be mind-blowing since we were both so pent up.

I yawned as I flipped aimlessly through the channels. Levi had already left for the office. Erwin owned an office building downtown. Its front was that of _Survey Loans_ , and he conducted gang business out of it. Loaning also garnered him quite a bit of wealth.

I was supposed to have gone to school, but I wasn’t in the mood. Again. Levi would be pissed if he found out I was skipping, but I didn’t care. I was a senior in high school and honestly so done with school. I wasn’t going to college, so what was the point? On top of that my classmate, Jean, was being a prick and he always riled me up to the point where I was afraid I'd lose it on him. If that happened, I'd be kicked out of school, and Levi had made me promise that that wouldn't happen.

I dropped the remote onto the floor and sat up. I was bored out of my mind. I stretched my arms over my head. I wanted to get out of the house, but we lived in a neighborhood heavily populated with members of the Wings. Levi would find out from them that I was skipping school if they caught sight of me out and about at this time.

The apartment door open and I glanced around as shock twisted my visage. Levi stepped inside the entry hall. His eyebrows raised slightly as he caught sight of me. 

“Ah, hi,” I said sheepishly. “What, what are you doing here?”

“I have the same question for you,” he said as he marched across the room. When he was within a few inches of me, he slammed his hand down on the back of the couch. 

I flinched and dropped my gaze hastily to the floor.

“Why aren’t you in school?” Levi demanded.

“I-I wasn’t feeling well,” I stuttered.

“You left before I did.” Levi didn’t sound particularly angry, more exasperated than anything. It was obvious that he didn’t believe me.

“I felt sick on the way to school so I came back.”

“Oi, brat,” Levi said with a sigh as he straightened and folded his arms. “What have I told you about lying?”

“That you’ll kill me if I ever lie to you.” I hung my head. I hadn’t been able to look him in the eye since he entered the room and now I felt even more ashamed doing so.

“Do you want to change any of your answers then?”

“I’m skipping school.”

“When was the last time you went?” Levi asked. He sat down on the coffee table in front of me and rested his elbows on his knees.

“Thursday,” I said quietly.

“You mean yesterday?”

“No, last Thursday.”

Levi reached out and flicked my forehead. I yelped from the sharp, surprising pain and scowled at him. His expression was as vacant as every, but his eyebrows were quirked slightly.

“Why are you skipping?”

“There’s this guy in my class who really pisses me off.” I rubbed the back of my neck. It was embarrassing admitting this to Levi. “I’m afraid that I’ll crack and since you’re not there I won’t be able to control myself.”

“Mikasa’s in your class, right?” Levi said. “I’ll ask her to look out for you.”

“I don’t need a girl looking out for me,” I grumbled.

Levi flicked me again. I whined in pain and clutched my forehead.

“Don’t be a prick,” Levi said. “That girl can bench press eight of you without breaking a sweat, and she’s my sister, so don’t talk shit about her.”

“Sorry,” I mumbled.

“You two are pretty close, right?” Levi said as he dropped his hand to my knee. “She told me how she’s talked you down before.”

“She has," I said. 

Levi was the only one who could get me to calm down if I lost it, but on the few occasions that I had gotten pissed off at school, Mikasa had been able to calm me down before I completely freaked out. All the same, we weren't particularly 'close'. We didn't hang out outside of school. We shared a few classes together, but for the most part the only time we really talked was during our lunch block and that didn't lend itself well to conversations that would garner a 'close' relationship.

“I’ll have her keep an eye on you at school.”

“Okay.” I drew my leg up to my chest and rubbed my chin against my knee.

“I’m going back to the office,” Levi said as he stood up. “I just forgot some paperwork here.” He set off toward the room that he used as his office here at the apartment.

“Can I come too?” I asked. I hopped off the couch and scampered after him. I hovered in the doorway; I had long since been forbidden from entering Levi’s office.

“No,” Levi said shortly. He collected the papers from his desk and walked to the doorway. He stopped in front of me and gazed up at me. “You stay here, and no TV or video games.” He brandished an admonishing finger at me. “Do you have homework you should be doing?”

“Armin dropped off work for me,” I said as I hung my head.

“Coconut head?”

“Why do you call him that?” I asked with a small laugh.

“‘Cause his hair is coconut-shaped.” 

“That’s a bowl cut,” I said.

“Whatever. It’s stupid,” Levi said with a shrug.

“No, it’s cute.”

“You have weird taste. Do your homework.” Levi slid past me and walked to the door.

“Can we do it tonight?” I asked as I followed him into the entryway.

“Your homework? No way. I'm not your tutor.”

“No, I meant sex.”

“We’ll see,” Levi said. He glanced at me over his shoulder.

“Lev _i_ ,” I groaned. “I’m so fucking pent up; I’d fuck anything with a heartbeat at this point.”

“What’s stopping you?” Levi said as he raised his eyebrows. “Just know—“ he took a step forward and leaned in to whisper in my ear—“if you ever let anyone else lay their hands on you, I’ll never touch you again.”

“Wh-why?” I asked as I took a hasty step back.

“Because then you’d be filthy.” Levi smirked at my expression of distress. “See you later, Eren.” He waved over his shoulder as he walked out of the apartment.

I closed the door behind him and slid the deadbolt into place. That hadn’t been the first time Levi had told me I’d become filthy if I slept with someone other than him. I could never tell if he was joking or not. Then again, even if he was, that wouldn't matter to me. I took everything he said or did seriously to avoid doing anything that would make him want to get rid of me. 

I didn’t know if he slept with anyone besides me. I had asked him before and he’d wryly inquired why I thought that was my business. I had no intention of sleeping with anyone other than Levi, no matter what I said about being ready to burst. Levi was my entire world and meant more to me than my own life. I wasn't in love with him; there was more to it than that. My very soul was devoted to him, which meant I'd give him my body, my life, my everything.

This feeling was far from reciprocated on his part.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm really enjoying writing this au so far! i hope everyone's enjoying reading it ~

**Eren’s POV**

 

“Levi?” I asked hesitantly.

“Hm?” Levi looked up at me. He was dressed in tight gray jeans and a baggy sweater. It was always strange seeing him out of his suits, but since I “looked like a kid playing dress-up” whenever I wore a suit, Levi would sometimes dress casually when we went out together so as to not draw attention to us.

“Are you still mad at me for skipping school?” 

Levi had been quiet all night yesterday. We’d watched a movie together on the couch and then he’d gone into his office to do work. I’d fallen asleep on the couch trying to wait up for him. He had carried me to my bed at some point during the night. I at least surmised as much since that was where I'd woken up this morning.

“I was never mad at you, Eren,” Levi said with a shake of his head. “A little peeved but not mad.”

We came to a stop on the fringes of the crowd that was waiting for the light to cross the street. 

“I’m sorry," I said as I rubbed the back of my neck. 

“Just go to school and it won’t be a problem,” Levi said. He caught my elbow and propelled me across the street with him.

“But that guy…”

“Mikasa will look out for you,” Levi said. He let go of my arm when we'd reached the other side of the street and strode down the sidewalk. “I texted her about it last night. Besides, you need to learn to control yourself when I’m not around.”

I hung my head and stared down at the concrete. Levi was right; I did need to learn to control my anger when he wasn’t around. I had grown increasingly dependent on him over the last three years. I probably had such difficulties containing my volatile emotions because I knew that if I got a handle on them, there would be no point for me to stay with Levi. 

“You should try to get out more, Eren, not just for work. You’re still a kid,” Levi continued.

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. Was he getting tired of me? And sure I was in high school still, but I was eighteen; I wasn’t a kid anymore. Did he still think of me as a kid? We’d been sleeping together for almost a year, ever since I’d turned eighteen. He was four years my senior and had refused my advances until I became an adult. I had thought he considered me as one, but maybe he still saw my as the fifteen-year-old kid he’d picked up off the street.

“Quit overthinking it,” Levi said, elbowing me sharply in the ribs. “I just meant you should enjoy your youth; you should go out and have fun.”

“But I have fun when I'm with you,” I said as I rubbed the place Levi’s bony elbow had clipped me.

“You should try making friends, Eren,” Levi said. “That way if I’m busy with work, you have someone to hang out with."

“I guess,” I mumbled. “Mikasa and Armin invited me to a movie tonight.”

“Mikasa’s friends with that coconut head?” Levi said with a small scowl.

“There’s a bunch of people going, not just the two of them. It’s Mikasa, Armin, Annie, Reiner, Bert, and maybe a few others.” I counted off the names on my fingers as I spoke.

“Reiner and Bert?” Levi mused with a pensive frown.

“They’re runners for the gang,” I said. 

Reiner and Bert delivered drugs. It was a fairly low-ranking job, but they were working their way up the ladder. I didn't know if Armin knew about the gang members that surrounded him at school. Mikasa was an enforcer for the gang. She would knock a few heads together when people got out of line. Her girlfriend, Annie, ran occasionally with Bert and Reiner when she was bored. 

“Mm,” Levi said with a nod. “You should go with them to the movies.”

“You could come too,” I offered.

“Why the fuck would I want to go to the movies with a bunch of brats?” Levi said with a short laugh.

“Yeah, I guess it wouldn’t be fun for you,” I mumbled. I hated that Levi was older than me, and that he brought it up so much. 

“Yo, Levi.” A drawling voice turned our attention behind us.

We had ducked down a back alleyway, which worked as a shortcut to get to Oruo’s hideout. Levi wanted to confront the man himself about what had happened yesterday.  Three men were walking slowly down the alley toward us. The one at the front had sandy blond hair and a pointed chin, which was covered in a scruffy goatee. 

“Turret,” Levi said. His eyebrows pinched together, which was the only sign of his annoyance.

“Good, your rogue dog’s with you,” Turret said as he came to a halt a few paces away from us. He glanced at me with a small smirk.

“What do you want, Turret?” Levi asked in a clipped voice.

I frowned at the trio of men. I didn’t recognize them, but Levi clearly knew this Turret fellow. It wasn’t too surprising that I didn’t find their faces familiar; Levi had been right in saying that I didn’t get out much. I didn’t know most of the people in our gang. I only knew the ones at school because Reiner, Bert, and the couple of other guys that worked for the gang had introduced themselves to me. I was well-known in the neighborhood as Levi's "rogue dog".

“Your dog here fucked up some of my guys the other day.” Turret scowled down at me.

I blinked in confusion. The only fight I’d gotten into this week was the one yesterday. Levi glanced at me. His brow was creased in a small frown.

“He put two of my guys in the hospital,” Turret continued. “So we’re looking for a little compensation.” He took a menacingly step forward.

“What are you talking about?” Levi said with an annoyed sigh.

“I’m talking about how you don’t leash your dog properly and he fucked up my guys outside the 7-Eleven on Orchard Street,” Turret snapped. He was clearly growing annoyed with our lack of understanding of the situation.

“There’s a 7-Eleven on Orchard Street?” I asked, cocking my head to the side.

“You fucking with me, dog?” Turret growled as he took a step forward.

“Oi.” Levi stepped between us and held up his hand. “Eren, did you go after Turret’s guys?” He looked over his shoulder at me.

“No,” I said earnestly, “I have no idea what he’s talking about.”

“Hear that?” Levi said, turning back to Turret. “He didn’t do it.”

“You have a lot of faith in your pet,” Turret snarled, “but I have just as much faith in my men, and they said he was the one who put them in the hospital.”

“If Eren says he didn’t do it, then he didn’t do it,” Levi said in a low growl. “Now I suggest you back off before I let him do to you what you’re claiming he did to your men.”

Turret scowled down at Levi. The two guys behind him shifted slightly. They exchanged glances. They didn’t look particularly thrilled at the prospect of duking it out with me. 

“Fine,” Turret said at last. He took a step back and folded his arms. “I’ll let it go this time.”

“There’s nothing to let go,” Levi said with a shrug. 

"You know,” Turret mused as he looked me up and down, “your dog’s rather cute. You should let him out to play some time.” Turret sneered at me.

I took a slight step back. I didn’t like the way he was eying me, like I was a piece of meat. I only liked it when Levi looked at me like that.

“Eren doesn’t play well with strangers,” Levi said. “Come on; we have business to attend to, Eren.”

“You should have him get use to playing with strangers,” Turret called after us as we set out down the alleyway. “Erwin isn’t going to let you keep him as a pet for much longer.”

I glanced over at Levi. Was this true? Levi scowled and flipped Turret off before rounding the corner. I hurried after him. We walked a few more blocks in silence before I spoke.

“Levi,” I began cautiously, “is it true that Erwin won’t let me stay with you much longer?”

“Ignore that asshole. He doesn't know what he's talking about,” Levi said with a shrug. He slipped his hands into his pockets and ducked down another alley. He looked up at me and offered me a softer expression. It wasn't quite a smile, since Levi didn't smile, but it was as close as it came with him. “I’m the only one who can collar you, so you’re stuck with me whether you like it or not.”

I liked it. I smiled and dropped my head so he wouldn’t see my happy blush. 

“We’re here,” Levi said as we approached a large metal door at the end of the alley. He walked up to the door and rapped lightly on it.

It swung open an inch, catching on the chain lock. Through the crack in the door, I saw a portion of some guy’s face. _Druggie_ , I thought immediately. His face was sallow and his eyes were bloodshot. 

“Levi,” the guy sneered. He closed the door and undid the lock. He pulled the door open all the way. “Didn’t think you’d show your face ‘round here after what your dog did to Oruo’s guys.”

“Oruo’s guys made the first move,” Levi said as he walked into the musty corridor that lay beyond the door.

That wasn't entirely true. Oruo's men had been talking shit about Levi and his loyalty toward Erwin, but they hadn't made a move to fight us until Levi had set me on them. As far as Levi was concerned, however, making jabs at him constituted making a move on their part.

“Not from what I heard,” the guy said. As he spoke, I caught sight of his sparse collection of rotten teeth. 

“Is Oruo in?” Levi asked.

“Yeh, he’s in.” The guy jabbed his thumb toward the door at the end of the hall. “You better keep your bitch leashed in there, or he’ll get put down.”

Levi didn’t respond as he strode down the corridor. I glowered at the guy as I passed him. He quickly averted his gaze. For all his tough talk, he wouldn’t go toe-to-toe with me for all the drugs in the world. 

When Levi reached the far door, he grabbed the handle and twisted it sharply. I could tell from the set of his shoulders that he was in his business mode now. He flung the door open and marched inside. I trailed after him. I stuffed my hands into my jacket pockets and adopted a bored expression. I was just here to look menacing and learn the tricks of the trade from Levi. Levi was fully capable of taking care of himself. I'd fought him once three years ago and had gotten my ass handed to me.

“Oruo,” Levi said as he marched into the middle of the room.

The room was small and one half of it was devoted to a large table, upon which three boys were counting out bills. I glanced over my shoulder as I sensed movement. Two men flanked the doors. They were dressed in suits and their hands had slipped inside their jackets, most likely to grasp the concealed firearms they carried on their person.

Across from the door was a large couch. A man sat on the couch. His arms were flung over the back and his right ankle was propped on his other knee. He had a craggy face and ashen blond hair. His brows were raised as he took in the impressive figure Levi struck in the middle of the room. Well, maybe I was the only one who would deem him 'impressive'. He was probably seen mostly as intimidating by others despite his short stature. Whenever Levi went into his mafia mode, I felt the burning desire to fuck him on any and all available surfaces.

“Levi, to what do we owe this pleasure?”

“Levi,” I whispered as I leaned close to his ear. “Who’s this old guy? I thought Oruo was your age?”

Levi snorted with laughter. His hand flew to his mouth to try to cover the sound. The man on the couch gaped at me. He spluttered and tried to formulate words, but his teeth caught his tongue. He hissed in pain. 

“Eren, this is Oruo,” Levi said. “Oruo, Eren.”

“Teach your dog some manners, Levi,” Oruo snapped as he finally regained his composure. He quickly wiped a dribble of blood off his chin.

“Sorry,” I mumbled as I rubbed the back of neck. I honestly hadn’t meant to insult him.

“Don’t worry, Eren. Oruo’s got the face of a forty-year-old.” Levi smirked down at Oruo, who scowled fiercely up at him.

"The fuck you want, Levi?” Oruo demanded, abandoning all niceties in favor of sheer annoyance.

“Some of your guys were throwing a bitch fit yesterday because Erwin cut you out of the drug business,” Levi said.

“They had good reason to ‘throw a bitch fit,’” Oruo said with an annoyed sigh. “Erwin cut us out for his own personal gain. We weren’t skimming off the top.”

“Oh?” Levi drawled. He propped his hand on his hip. “What personal gain did Erwin get from cutting you off?”

“It was punishment,” Oruo said, “for finding out what I shouldn’t have.”

“And what was that?” Levi sounded incredibly bored of the conversation, but all the same he continued to humor Oruo.

“That Erwin’s in cahoots with Nile Dok.”

“Nile?” I said slowly. “Isn’t that some police officer?” I glanced at Levi.

His face twitched ever-so-slightly in testament to just how furious he was. I reached out a hand to grab his arm, but he’d already strode across the room. He caught Oruo by the front of his shirt and hauled him off the couch.

“You’d best rethink your words before I rip your tongue out and shove it up your ass,” Levi hissed. 

“Oh, you didn’t know?” Oruo laughed. He waved away the men behind us who had drawn their guns. 

I swallowed and glanced between the men and Levi. They wouldn't shoot him; one would have to be crazy to try to kill Levi Ackerman, but all the same, my body was beginning to tremble at the thought that they posed a threat to him.

“And here I thought Erwin told you everything since you’re his loyal lapdog," Oruo continued. “It’s true. Your precious boss is in bed with the police.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for all the positive feedback! i'm so glad peeps are liking this so far!

**Eren’s POV**

 

“Don’t talk about shit you know nothing about,” Levi said in a dangerously quiet voice. 

“Oh, so you did know?” Oruo said with a light chuckle, but there was a flash of fear in his eyes. 

His men took a hesitant step forward. They hadn’t raised their guns, which was smart on their part. If they had, I would have been flung into action by the burning desire to protect Levi.

“Levi,” I murmured quietly. As it was, I was beginning to tremble with the need to give into my volatile instincts. I needed Levi to calm me down and if he was riled up, that would never happen.

Levi glanced over his shoulder. When he met my beseeching gaze, he released Oruo and took a step back. I moved to his side and he rested a comforting hand on my arm.

“Nile is an informant, you dumb shit,” Levi said in annoyance. “Don’t go spreading rumors about Erwin being a snitch. That’s how you get yourself killed.”

“Then why'd he cut us off?” Oruo asked sullenly as he sat back down on the couch. He was rubbing his chest where Levi’s bony knuckles had dug into his flesh.

“Probably because you were sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong,” Levi said. He patted my arm before turning away from Oruo. “We’re leaving. Keep this information in this room unless you want to be castrated.”

“Can’t say I like the thought of that,” Oruo muttered under his breath. He looked properly abashed that he had suspected Erwin of treachery.

Levi chuckled wryly. He left the room with me close on his heels. When we had exited the building and moved a ways down the alley, I reached out and caught his sleeve. Levi glanced up at me.

“You did a good job in there, Eren,” Levi said as he patted my hair. "Did you get nervous?”

“I though those guys might try to shoot you,” I murmured with a small shiver.

“Don’t worry,” Levi said as he set off down the alleyway again. "Oruo doesn’t have the balls to take me out. All he’ll do is whine about his predicament.”

“How long has Erwin had a police informant?” I asked. My real question was how long had Levi known. I knew the general happenings of the gang to some extent, and I would have expected Levi to tell me something as important as Erwin being in league with a cop.

"A few years," Levi said. “I’m surprised it took this long for someone to uncover it. Erwin asked me last night to pay Oruo a visit regarding this. Oruo was right in saying that Erwin’s punishing him. Erwin doesn’t appreciate people sniffing around his affairs.” Levi ran a hand through his hair and sighed quietly. “Oruo won’t go spreading rumors now that we’ve cleared his suspicions of Erwin’s loyalty.”

“Levi,” I began, but paused. I wanted to ask why Levi hadn’t told me about Erwin’s source, but the answer was obvious: Levi would have just glanced at me wryly and asked me what business I thought I had knowing that. 

“What is it?” Levi asked.

“Are we done for today?” I asked. “I want to hang out with Mikasa and Armin.”

“Yes," Levi said with a nod. “You go have fun.”

“Okay! I’ll see you later!” I waved to him as I ran off down the street toward the subway station. 

* * *

I ended up having a blast with Mikasa, Armin, and the others. I’d never hung out with them outside of school before. I had smoked with Reiner and Bert a few times, but Levi always smelled the smoke on me and chastised me for using drugs. For a mafia member, Levi was vehemently against drugs. Reiner and Bert were pretty into drugs so I stopped hanging out with them last year so that I wouldn’t upset Levi. Usually I would glom onto Levi over the weekend or stay at home playing video games.

Because of my lack of socializing outside gang life, I was a touch nervous about something as mundane as going to see a movie. I had known Armin since elementary school. He’d always been incredibly friendly with me. We’d fallen out of touch the year I was out of school, but we had been in the same homeroom when I had returned for my sophomore year. He was well-aware that I was on the unsavory side of life; one couldn’t not know that what with all the bruises I came into school with. Nevertheless, he never pried and treated me like anyone else. The gang kids who knew me at school never sent me even a sidelong glance out of fear of the “rogue dog”. I hated that my uncontrollable rages had transformed me into something to be feared and shunned by others. This was yet another reason why I needed to get my anger under control, but again this brought up that age-old problem that if I could reign myself in of my own accord, then there would be no reason for Levi to be my handler.

I also had a surprisingly good time with Mikasa. She was gruff and rather distant by nature. I still had no idea if she knew I was sleeping with her older brother. I did know for a fact that if I did anything to hurt Levi, she would skin me alive, since she had taken it upon herself to inform me of this when I first started living with him three years ago.

Despite all of this, she was fun to hang out with. She had the same biting sense of humor as her brother. They also looked strikingly similar with their angled features and icy gray eyes. Mikasa was more liberal with her smiling, however. This wasn’t to say she smiled a lot, rather that she did at all. I often wondered if Levi’s smile would be as big and warm as the ones she sent Annie every once and a while.

Levi texted me during the movie to tell me he was going over to Erwin’s. In the past, when I had come home and he wasn’t there, I had always freaked out and called him desperately. He had taken to texting me about where he was to alleviate my near constant paranoia regarding his safety. 

_He really goes out of his way for my sake_ , I thought as I kicked off my shoes in the entryway of our apartment. 

It was close to nine now since I had gone out to dinner with my classmates after the movie. I was rather exhausted from socializing for so long. I went to the couch and flopped down on it. My eyes drifted shut and I fell asleep almost immediately.

I woke to the rattling sounds of keys in the lock. I sat up slowly and yawned. I glanced over at the clock and noticed it was past eleven. I got up and wandered down the entry hall to the apartment door. It swung open as I approached and Levi walked in. He glanced up at me.

“Your hair’s a mess,” he said with a light chuckle. He toed off his shoes and closed the door behind him. He locked it and turned back to me.

“I was asleep on the couch,” I said around another yawn. “How were things with—?”

Levi crossed the short distance between us and slammed his lips against mine. I grunted from the impact and stumbled backward. Levi followed, keeping our lips slotted together, and pinned me to the wall. His small tongue darted out and lapped against my lips. I opened my mouth and released a small moan. Levi shoved his tongue past my teeth. His hands fisted in my shirt. He pulled back, leaving me panting and desperate for more. 

“I wanna do it,” he said in a husky voice. He dragged me off the wall and took me to his bedroom. He threw me down on the bed and climbed on top of me. 

I opened my mouth as his lips found mine again. His legs straddled me and his ass dropped down to grind against my crotch. I whined into the kiss and felt Levi smirk. The kiss was messy and our teeth clacked together. My body was beginning to heat up. My hands gripped his sweater and yanked it up to his armpits.

Levi sat up and pulled off the garment. His pale chest practically glowed in the light of the moon that spilled through the bedroom window. Scars of varying origins littered his torso.  He grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me off the bed. I lifted my arms over my head and he slid my shirt off. His head dropped to my chest and his tongue darted against my nipple. He toyed with the hardening bud for a moment, while his thumb rubbed against the other nipple. 

“L-Levi,” I moaned in a stuttering voice. My cock was aching in the tight confines of my pants. 

Levi maneuvered me back against the pillows. He quickly undid my pants and pulled them and my briefs off. Even in the throws of sexual coitus, his face was as impassive as ever, though it was slightly flushed from exertion. 

He tossed my clothes aside and crawled between my legs. I mewed quietly as I watched his head duck down. His small hand slipped around the base of my cock and his tonguepoked against my slit.

I gasped and my hips bucked up violently. Levi chuckled. He continued to attend to my aching hard-on as his other hand reached out and pulled open the drawer of the bedside table. His teeth scraped over the head of my cock and I squirmed, releasing a whimpered mew. 

When Levi had fished out the lube and a condom from the drawer, he sat back on his heels. I stared up at him and bit my lip. He carefully coated his fingers in lube and brought them my entrance.

“Levi,” I whined quietly. I dropped my head back against the pillow when his fingertips brushed my puckered hole. 

“Stay still,” Levi said as he slid his forefinger inside. 

I whimpered loudly and tried my best to keep my hips from bucking. They did twitch slightly. As Levi began to slow finger-fuck me, he reached out and grabbed one of his ties which was hanging on the bed post. 

I watched him curiously. My hips were quivering from the effort of keeping still. Levi reached up and slid the tie over my eyes. He maneuvered it in place. 

“Levi, what are you doing?” I gasped as my vision was swallowed in darkness.

Levi didn’t reply as he forced in a second finger. I yelped from the pain of the intrusion. Without the ability to see, my body was swamped with sensitivity. I whined and completely abandoned staying still in favor of squirming on the bed. Levi’s fingers thrust in out of me. Occasionally he would scissor them apart as best he could. When this happened, I would choke on a loud moan. My body was beginning to tremble, but not just from waves of pleasure. Levi was only toying with my ass; he wasn’t touching me anywhere else. It felt like disembodied fingers were prying me open. I whimpered at the thought. 

Suddenly, Levi pulled out. I heard him move around and the tearing of the condom package. The bed squeaked quietly as he moved. My breathing was coming in frantic pants now. Where was he? I didn’t like this. Suddenly his hand clasped my hip. I yelped in surprise. The head of his cock pressed against my hole. I whimpered again. I hated not being able to see him. It made it felt like anyone could be doing this me right now. The thought made my eyes prickle with tears. My hand reached out and grabbed his wrist. Levi began to push slowly into my passage. My hole stretched achingly around his thick cock. It was painful, since it had been so long since we’d done this last. My eyes glistened with tears and the silky fabric of the tie rubbed against my face.

Levi thrust in sharply, burying himself to the hilt inside my spasming passage. I moaned loudly as pain and pleasure washed over me. My body quaked. His fingers felt scalding as they pressed into my skin. 

“L-Levi,” I sobbed desperately. “Levi, I don’t like it.” My grip tightened on his wrist. “Please, take it off.”

“Eren,” Levi gasped quietly. He quickly reached up and pushed the tie off my face.

I whined in relief as his face swam in front of my vision. He stared down at me, eyes wide with concern. His hands cradled my face gently and he carefully wiped away my tears.

“It’s okay,” Levi said soothingly. 

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. My cheeks were heating up with the humiliation from my little freak out.

“No, don’t apologize,” Levi said with an earnest shake of his head. “You didn’t like it, but that’s why we have safe words. You remember them, right?”

I nodded. We used a stoplight system: green, yellow, red. I had never used any of the words before, however. We’d never done anything I didn’t like, save for just now.

“Why didn’t you use any of the words?” Levi asked. His voice was tight and his hips shifted slightly. His cock rubbed against my walls and I whimpered slightly.

“B-because you liked it,” I whispered quietly.

“Eren.” Levi bent forward and kissed me gently on the forehead. “If you don't like it, then neither will I. Next time if you don’t like it, use one of the words, okay?”

“I’m sorry,” I said as I nodded. My eyes welled up with tears again. 

“It’s okay. I’ll pull out—“

“No,” I said quickly. My legs shot out and wrapped around his waist. “Please, don’t. Please, keep going.” I looked up at him desperately.

Levi regarded my face for a moment before nodding.  Slowly, he slid his length out of me before thrusting back inside. I whined. His forehead pressed against mine and I could feel our sweat mixing together. Levi's hips slammed against my ass and I moaned loudly. 

Levi set a ruthless pace and soon I was sobbing incoherently. My hand flew to my mouth and I buried my teeth into it to keep from uttering a sound. Levi's fingers tangled with my hair and yanked my head back.

“I want to hear you,” he hissed as he bent over me. His dick slammed repeatedly against my prostate and I whimpered, but let my hand drop from my mouth. 

He held my head back, causing my neck to become taut. It was a terrifying sensation to have my neck exposed like this. 

“Fuck, you keep tightening around me,” Levi whispered. The fingers of his other hand slid carefully over my throat. “Is it because you’re exposed like this?”

“Levi,” I mewed as I rocked my hips back. “P-please, harder.”

I wasn’t sure which of his ministrations I was referring to, but he acquiesced in all regards. His hand tightened around my throat, causing my breathing to come in burning gasps, and he fucked me into the mattress. I sobbed desperately. The sound came out guttural around the hand that was choking my neck. Drool slipped off my chin.I knew my neck was going to be bruised tomorrow, but I didn’t care. Black dots spotted my vision. I gasped desperately. 

“Levi, please, can I come?”

“Since you asked so nicely,” he murmured. 

His hand vanished from my throat. His hand found my cock and he jerked me off in time to his erratic thrusting. I sobbed desperately. My passage tightened around his member and heat pooled in my stomach.

“Levi, I’m—“ My words broke off in a choked moan as I came over his hand. 

Levi continued to pump me as cum spurted over my chest. I mewed quietly as my body went slack. Levi continued to fuck me for several minutes, during which time I was reduced to a sobbing mess due to post-orgasm oversensitivity. 

“Levi, I can’t. No more. Please.” 

Levi came. I whined as I felt the hot fluid seep into the condom. Levi released my hair and sat back on his heels. He pulled out slowly. Panting quietly, I curled up into a tight ball as Levi got off the bed to dispose of the condom. 

He was gone for several minutes, but I was so lost in the wake of my orgasm that I barely noticed. My body was tingling and I felt extremely lightheaded. My lower back twinged painfully but in a satisfying way. I felt the mattress shift as he climbed onto it behind me.

“How are you feeling?” he asked as he rolled me onto my back. He carefully cleaned off my chest and wilted cock with a warm washcloth.

“Good,” I mumbled as my cheeks heated up. 

“Good.  Does your throat hurt?”

“Yeah, but it’s fine.” 

“And you liked that?” Levi’s gray eyes were carefully inspecting my neck. 

“Mm-hm,” I said, nodding happily.

“Good. I’m going to shower,” he said. He spoke softly since he knew I was most likely moments from falling asleep.

“Okay.”

Levi pulled the covers over me. He ruffled my hair gently before heading into the bathroom. I drifted in and out of sleep as Levi got ready for bed. He finally climbed in beside me. I shifted a touch closer to him, but resisted the urge to coil my body around his. Levi had made it very clear that he didn’t cuddle.

* * *

The next morning I woke to an empty bed. This wasn’t unusual since Levi never slept more than a few hours. I rolled over and groaned loudly. My entire body ached. I sat up slowly and carefully touched my neck. It felt a touch swollen and I winced as my fingertips brushed the bruising skin.

At the foot of the bed I found a pile of my clothes neatly folded. They weren’t the ones from the night before; Levi had most likely put those in the laundry. I got dressed and walked out into the living room. I yawned loudly.

“Good morning,” I mumbled sleepily when my eyes fell on Levi, who was sitting on the couch.

He glanced up at me. His chin rested in the palm of his hands. Dark circles ringed his eyes. He must not have slept much at all last night, which again wasn’t unusual. 

“Morning,” he said. His eyes flickered toward the entry hall and my gaze followed.

Two suitcases stood by the wall. My backpack sat on top of them. I stared at them for a long moment before slowly looking back at Levi. He didn’t meet my gaze as he stared down at the coffee table.

“Wh-why is my stuff packed?” I asked hesitantly.

“You’re moving out,” he said.


	4. Chapter 4

** Eren's POV **

 

“What…" I whispered quietly. "What did you just say?!” I stormed across the room and slammed my hands down on the back of the couch on either side of Levi’s slender figure.

“You're moving out," Levi repeated calmly.

“Yesterday you said I was stuck with you no matter what,” I yelled down at him.

“That was yesterday,” Levi said. “Erwin wants you to move out and start working on your own. He thinks you’re too dependent on me and I agree.”

“I’m not—that’s—“ I took a step back. My hands were trembling as I stared down at Levi’s expressionless face. “That’s not fair!”

“Who the fuck said any of this was going to be fair?” Levi muttered under his breath. He ran a hand through hair. “You need to become useful to the gang.”

“I don’t want to be useful to the gang; I want to be useful to you.”

Levi surged off the couch. He grabbed my face in his hand and forced me down onto the coffee table. His eyes flashed dangerously.

"The only way you can be useful to me is if you’re useful to the gang,” he hissed quietly. He released my face and stepped back. "Get your stuff and get out.”

“So that's it? You’re just going to fuck me then kick me out?” I glared up at him. The only reason I hadn’t completely lost it on him was because I was on the verge of tears. I couldn’t believe this was happening.

“This doesn’t mean we'll never be able to see each other again,” Levi said as he glanced to the side.

“Fuck that!” I snarled. “I want nothing to do with you, asshole.”

“Stop acting like a brat,” Levi snapped. He pulled my phone out of his pocket and shoved it into my hands. “I texted you Mikasa’s address. She’s agreed to let you stay with her. I’ll text you instructions about jobs you should do. Prove that you can be an adult and live on your own, and maybe Erwin will let you move in with me again.”

“Who said I’d want to move in with you again?” I gripped the phone tightly in my hand as I jumped to my feet. “I hate you!” I shoved him backward and he tripped, sitting down hard on the couch.

“Eren,” he said chidingly.

I spun on my heel and ran to my bags. I grabbed them and hurried to the door. Levi was calling after me, but I ignored him. He was the one who was kicking me out, so he should just let me leave.

“Eren, let’s talk about this,” Levi said with an annoyed sigh.

"Talk about this? You didn't exactly open it to discussion when you packed up my things and told me to get out.”

“This doesn’t have to change anything between us,” Levi said. 

“Us? There isn’t an us,” I said as I yanked on my shoes. “There's just me being infatuated with you and you fucking me whenever you’re in the mood.”

“Eren, calm down,” Levi said with a sigh. He folded his arms and frowned. 

“Calm down?” I yelled at him. “You were my only family for three years and now you’re just tossing me onto the street because Erwin told you to.”

“Erwin's our boss,” Levi said in a tight voice. His face twitched slightly, which meant he was starting to get annoyed by this conversation. It was actually a relief to see him having an emotional reaction to this. “We have to do as he says.”

“Yeah, but we could have talked about this first before you just packed up my things.”

“Eren—“

“I’m leaving.” I pulled open the door and maneuvered myself with my bags out of it. 

“Be careful," Levi said as he caught the door before I could close it. 

I stared at him for a long moment before turning away and marching down the balcony. I was so furious at Levi I could have hit him had I not been so upset as well. Despite all my fears that it would, I hadn’t actually thought this day would come, and yet here I was with my meager possessions, kicked out of the place I’d called ‘home’ for three years. 

And I'd be damned before I went crawling to Mikasa’s house and just took Levi’s instructions from afar. He wanted me to be an adult? Fine by me. I’d make my own way. I pulled out my phone and called Reiner. He answered after the second ring.

“Yo, Eren, what’s up?”

“Hey, can I crash at your place for a bit?” I asked. I had reached the street by now. I turned down the sidewalk and headed in the general direction of Reiner and Bert’s apartment.

“Of course,” Reiner said. “You okay?”

“Fine,” I said brusquely. “Will you send me your address? I don’t remember exactly where you live.”

“Yeah, no problem. See you soon.” Reiner hung up. 

A few seconds later I received a text from him with his address. I plugged the address into my GPS and headed toward the apartment. It was a fifteen minute walk, which gave me plenty of time to seethe, as well as sort through my thoughts.

Erwin had told Levi to kick me out, and Levi had, of course, listened. This did leave me wondering whether Levi really wanted me to move out. He had said that he agreed with Erwin about me being too dependent on him. Hell, even I agreed that that was the case, but I hadn't thought I’d be kicked out because of it.

He also wanted our relationship to remain unchanged, but if he actually cared about my feelings, he would have sat me down and explained things to me instead of just springing this on me.

Before I could follow this train of thought further, my phone rang. I glanced down at it. An unknown number was calling me. I answered.

“Hello?” I asked hesitantly.

“Eren? It’s Mikasa.”

“Hey.”

“Levi said you were going to come to my apartment this morning. I was wondering when you were going to get here?”

“I’m not going to your place.” I tried to keep my annoyance in check—Mikasa had nothing to do with Levi being an asshole—but it did edge my voice slightly.

“But Levi said—“

“Levi can go fuck himself.” I hung up before she could protest further.

I was about a minute away from Reiner and Bert’s apartment and by now I recognized where I was. I shut off the GPS and headed toward their apartment building. I mounted the steps and walked down the balcony to their door. 

Mikasa was calling me again. I ignored the call. Next she texted me, asking where I was. I didn’t reply. As I raised my hand to knock on the door, Levi called me. I sighed and begrudgingly answered.

“What?”

“Where are you?”

“None of your business,” I snapped.

"Eren, I'm sorry I sprang this on you. I should have talked to you about it first,” Levi said in a quiet voice. “Please, don’t do anything stupid.”

“I’m not,” I said with a dry laugh. It really said something about what he thought of me that he thought I’d go off and do some dumb shit. “You want me to be an adult, so I’m going to get by on my own.”

“I want you to be an adult, but I don’t want you to do reckless shit that will get you hurt," Levi said in a clipped voice. He was clearly still annoyed about this. Good. He didn't get to be calm and unaffected by this like he was with everything else.

“Wow, way to have faith in me,” I said. “I’m hanging up. Don’t text me or call me or I’ll block you.”

“Eren, wait—“

I didn’t bother hearing out his feeble excuses. I hung the phone and slipped it into my back pocket. Levi cared more about what Erwin wanted than what I wanted. This thought had always lingered somewhere in the back of my mind, but it had never been as blatantly obvious as it was now.

I knocked lightly on the door. A few moments later, I heard heavy footsteps approaching the door. Reiner opened the door. He gave me a friendly smile as he waved me inside.

“Hey," he said. “Come on in.”

“Thanks,” I said as I crossed the threshold. “I really appreciate you letting me stay here.”

“Not a problem,” Reiner said. “Stay as long as you need to."

“Thanks,” I said again as I kicked off my shoes at Reiner’s behest. “Once I have enough money to pay rent for my own place, I can get out of your hair.”

“Sounds good," Reiner said as he led me into the living room. “Bert’s still asleep by the way.”

“Okay.”

The apartment wasn't quite as spacious as the one I had shared with Levi and it certainly wasn’t as meticulously cleaned, but it was cozy enough and the couch looked pretty comfortable. 

"Do you wanna talk about anything?” Reiner asked slowly as he plunked onto the couch.

“Levi kicked me out,” I said as I dropped my bags on the floor and fell onto the couch beside him.

“Shit, man, that sucks. I'm sorry,” Reiner said. “Why'd he do that?”

"It's complicated," I said with a shake of my head. I didn’t want to get into my dependency issues with Reiner.

Reiner didn't pry. He offered me breakfast, which I accepted eagerly since I hadn't eaten all morning. He made us pancakes. The smell lured Bert out of bed and he joined us at the table. He didn't seem at all put out to find me there or to learn that I'd be staying with him and Reiner for an undesignated amount of time. I asked if I could get in on their running. I told them how I wanted to start making money on my own. I didn't mention that I needed to prove myself independent to Levi. 

They eagerly acquiesced. Apparently they had more jobs than they could handle on their own. They sometimes had to call Annie for help, but having me around would ease their workload. They didn't just deliver drugs. They did a lot of grunt work for the gang that involved deliveries, or paying visits to people to remind them their debt was overdo. 

For the next week I helped them out with odd jobs here and there. I didn't go to school during this time. There was no point as far as I was concerned. It was my senior spring and I wasn't going to college. I didn't even need to graduate, but my grades were relatively good enough that even cutting a shit load of classes wouldn't get me expelled. I probably wouldn't be able to walk at graduation, but I'd still get my diploma.

Levi had had the good sense to text me only once during this time. He’d simply said, “Just checking in. Let me know if you need anything.” I hadn't replied to him because I didn't need anything from him. 

I found myself greatly enjoying working with Reiner and Bert. They had long since quit going to school as well so we spent most of our time together. I liked doing delivery jobs with them more than skulking after Levi and acting as his dog. It made me feel smart and useful. We were also earning pretty good money. The majority of our earnings went back to the Wings of course, but we got some nice pocket money out of the deal. I was slowly working my way toward being able to afford my own place. 

Neither Reiner nor Bert had a problem with me staying with them. They seemed to enjoy the extra company. We would occasionally invite Annie over to game with us or watch movies. Even though she was close friends with Mikasa, she never brought her or Levi up. The first few times he and my whole situation had been mentioned, I had grown irritable, so Reiner, Bert, and Annie had learned to leave things be. 

Things were going well and I was starting to forget about my hurt and animosity toward Levi. I missed him a ridiculous amount, but by dedicating myself to work, I was able to push these thoughts aside. 

I had gotten into a few scuffles with some younger gang members who were feeling impertinent. I had managed to pull myself out of my rages before I caused too much damage. It was annoying to admit it, but thinking of Levi was what let me break out of my anger. I didn't want him to have an effect on me because I was fundamentally pissed off at him, but I also wanted to be able to prove to him that I could manage without him, so I would use whatever I could to control my volatile tendencies. 

Several more weeks passed in this way. Without Levi in my life, I was reduced to feeling a gaping hole in my chest. He had been the most important part of my life for three years. My mom had died when I was eight and my dad had gotten strung out on drugs and so deep in debt that the city had taken our home. I had lived on the streets for a year. I barely ate and I got into fights daily. I could hold my own despite being only fourteen. It helped that I became absolutely vicious when I was angry. Eventually the fact that I could take on kids twice my size and years older than me got around and I became something of a spectacle on the street. 

One day, Erwin and Levi came across me while I was nursing my wounds in a back alley after a particularly bad fight. I had already been in a defensive mode because I'd just dragged myself out of a fight so a few careless words by Erwin had me going at him in a fit of rage. Levi had intercepted me and beaten me down with almost no effort. He'd pinned me to the dirty ground and had come close to twisting my arm out of its socket before Erwin got him into check. 

Levi had been content on leaving me in that back alley, but Erwin had remembered the rumors of a kid with volatile tendencies who had been cutting down Erwin's low-ranking gang members. He'd instructed Levi to take me to his apartment, feed me, cloth me, and tend to my wounds. Levi had been put out by this, but, as with anything, he followed Erwin's instructions.

I had begrudgingly gone home with him because at that point I was fairly certain I had a bad infection in one of the cuts on my side. Levi had cleaned me as per Erwin's request. He'd plied me with antibiotics since it turned out I did have multiple infections. I had come down with a pretty bad fever and had slept for three days. Levi had watched over me during this time. I had asked him why he was taking care of me when I had woken up and he'd explained that Erwin wanted to recruit me for the gang.

I had gone along with this too. I had nothing else to do with my life and besides that Levi was offering me a roof over my head and food, two things I had gone without for too long. Levi had shown me the ropes of the gang. The first few months he'd had to beat me constantly in order to keep my rages in check. He was trained in martial arts so he could subdue me without causing major injuries, but I didn't care. I had always hated being engulfed in that toxically volatile emotion. Almost anything could set me off back then and Levi had had his work cut out for him keeping me in check. 

I had grown incredibly attached to him and barely went anywhere without him. He indulged me; looked after me; and generally wasn't an asshole to me like everyone else in my life had been. 

_ That's sure _ _changed_ , I thought ruefully. I flipped idly through the channels. There was nothing good on so there was nothing to pull my thoughts out of the past.

"Eren!" 

I looked up at the sound of Reiner's frantic voice. He hurried into the living room. An expression of panic twisted his face I frowned and sat up.

"What's up?" I asked.

"It's Levi," Reiner said slowly. "Annie just text me."

"What happened?" I demanded.

"He's been shot."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha i have no idea what i'm doing with this story. i have like two big plot points i want to get to but actually getting to them is proving difficult


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love how i got two comments like "good levi deserved to be shot" XD  
> also someone was confused in my last fic where i used they/them pronouns for hange without explanation (tho i don't really think there needs to be one but anyway) hange is nonbinary in this fic like they are in the manga

**Levi's POV**

 

“Why is everyone making such a big deal out of this?” I asked as Hange fussed about. “I got shot. Big whoop. It’s not like this has never happened before.” The pain killer Hange had given me was starting to kick in and my head felt a touch hazy. 

“You have a hole in your side,” Hange, who was the gang’s go-to physician, said. They were carefully patching up the bloody wound in my hip. “That’s a pretty big whoop.”

I rolled by eyes. I had been accompanying Turret on one of his loan-sharking gigs when I’d gotten shot. We’d gone to visit the house of a man who owed our loan company heaps of cash. He’d been strung out when we got there and grabbed a gun when we had plowed into his house. In retrospect, we could have handled things a touch more diplomatically. Rather, Turret could have handled things a touch more diplomatically. I had simply followed him into the apartment after he’d kicked the door down. The drugged-out guy had fired at us randomly and one of the bullets had found my hip. It had hurt like bitch, not that I wasn’t use to that sort of pain. Turret had taken the guy out. He’d then dragged my bleeding ass to Hange’s place before returning to apprehend any valuables at our target’s house as retribution.

“It’s not that bad,” I muttered as Hange finished wrapping my hip in gauze. “If everyone would just chill—“

“Eren wants to know how you’re doing,” Mikasa said abruptly.

“What?” I stared at her with wide eyes.

She was leaning against the wall of Hange’s guest room, which functioned as their emergency room. Mikasa was gazing down at her phone. She was frowning slightly. Hange had called her when Turret had dumped me at their door. Typical Mikasa had dropped everything to get to my side. 

“How does he know about this?” I mumbled under my breath. 

“I told Annie,” Mikasa said with a shrug. “What should I tell him?”

“Whatever you want,” I said as I gazed down at the bedsheets.

“Isn’t Eren that cute boy who’s living with you?” Hange asked as they peeled off their gloves.

“Was living with me,” I said quietly.

“Oh, did he move out?”

“Levi kicked him out,” Mikasa said flatly as she typed out a quick message.

“I didn’t _kick_ him out,” I said. 

“You kicked him out,” Mikasa said with a dry laugh. “Packing up his things without his consent and telling him to leave is kicking out.”

I greatly regretted recounting what had happened that day to Mikasa. She was just one more person who could rub my face in the fact that I had completely and colossally fucked up. For all my trying to justify my actions, there was no question that I had acted like an asshole. The fact of the matter was I'd been afraid that if I’d sat Eren down to talk things through, he would have convinced me to let him stay. And I couldn’t got against Erwin’s wishes, even for Eren’s sake.

“Why'd you do that?” Hange asked as they plopped down on the bed beside me.

“Erwin wanted him to move out,” I said quietly.

"Have you talked about it all?” Hange asked.

“This is literally the first time they’ve communicated since that day,” Mikasa said.

"There isn't anything to talk about,” I muttered. The pain drugs were really starting to kick in and my head felt like it was filled with cotton balls. I rubbed my forehead as if that could help clear my thoughts.

“There’s plenty to talk about,” Mikasa said. “You’re just too emotionally stunted to sit down and have a conversation with him.” She was fully aware that she could only get away with saying this sort of shit to me right now since I was starting to get a little high from the pain meds. Her phone buzzed and she glanced at it. “He wants to know what happened.”

“Just tell him then,” I said sullenly as I slumped back against the pillows that were propped against the headboard. 

“You two should talk,” Miksasa said. “Want me to call him for you?” She gave me a mischievous smile.

“No,” I said quickly as I sat up. I hissed at the sharp tug in my side.

“Oi, I just stitched you up; settle down,” Hange said. They put a hand on my shoulder and pushed me back against the pillows. “Why don’t you want to talk to him? I thought you two were close.”

“They were,” Miksasa said as her thumbs flew over the keypad. “They were sleeping together.”

“How…how’d you know that?” I asked in weak surprise as I settled against the pillows once more.

“Wait, isn’t he, like, twelve?” Hange said.

“Eighteen.” I gaped up at them.

“You leave hickeys in obvious places sometimes,” Mikasa said by way of answering my previous question, “and he doesn’t hang out with anyone other than you. Deductive reasoning.” She tapped her temple in a knowing fashion.

“I’m a little behind the curve so you’ll have to forgive me,” Hange said, “but how long have you been sleeping with him?”

“We started sleeping together after he turned eighteen, okay?” I grumbled. “I’m not a pedo.”

“So, what you’re saying is you kicked out the emotionally unstable eighteen-year-old you’ve been sleeping with who has dependency issues because your boss told you to?” 

“Well, when you put it like that, I sound utterly irredeemable,” I said as I rubbed my forehead. I was starting to get sleepy, which was a blessing since I wanted out of this conversation.

“You kinda are,” Mikasa said. 

“But Erwin said—“

“Erwin shouldn’t have a say in your personal life; he’s your boss,” Hange said. “You should draw the line somewhere.”

“But it wasn’t about my personal life,” I snapped. “He wants Eren to be more independent so he can better benefit the gang.”

“He could have been more independent and still lived with you,” Hange said.

“No, he couldn’t have.” I felt my eyebrows twitched, a sure sign that I was getting pissed off. “You yourself said he has dependency issues. He needs to live without me for a while so he can learn how to stand on his own two feet.”

“You still shouldn’t have thrown him out,” Mikasa said.

“I know that!” I very rarely raised my voice, but this was one such occasion. Between the grilling and the high from the pain meds I had lost my temper much faster than was typical for me. “I fucked up, okay? I am well-aware of this fact, but there’s not much I can do about it. He hates me now and wants nothing to do with me, so that’s the end of it. Let’s all just move on.”

“Sorry we riled you up,” Hange said as they put a comforting hand on my arm. They glanced over at Mikasa in a we-should-drop-it way. “You should sleep.”

“I’m sorry too,” Mikasa said. She looked a touch surprised, probably because I had gotten so uncharacteristically emotional about this.

“It’s fine. Just let it be. I’ll handle Eren myself.” 

“Sounds like you do handle him,” Hange said under their breath.

I elbowed them sharply and they raised their hands in the air.

“Sorry, sorry. I couldn’t resist.” 

“I’m gonna sleep; get out.” I dropped onto my uninjured side and pulled the covers over my body.

Hange and Mikasa left the room. I closed my eyes and willed the pain killer to take me under. I didn’t want to be stuck with my seething thoughts any longer. Eren hated me and rightfully so. I had fucked up royally. I couldn’t imagine how I could possibly make things right with him. 

* * *

**Eren's POV**

 

I stared down at my phone. I had texted Mikasa a few minutes after I had heard the news from Reiner. My first instinct had been to rush straight to Hange’s, where I knew Levi would be taken. I had gotten halfway to the door before I remembered that Levi and I weren’t talking. I’d sunk down to the floor and taken out my phone. Reiner had watched me from the living room. He had known better than to say anything. Finally I had texted Mikasa to ask after Levi. I knew that she would be with him even if I couldn’t be.

She had assured me that he was fine and that it was an accident that he’d even gotten shot. He hadn't gotten into a firefight, which had been my initial fear. Levi handled weapons trade sometimes and those could always go really south, really fast. During our conversation, I had returned to the couch and sat down beside Reiner, who’d turned on the TV. He had glanced in my direction every once and a while, but didn’t say anything. 

Now, my eyes were rooted on my phone as I read and reread Mikasa’s most recent text message:

_He’s really upset about what happened between you two and really regrets what he did. You two should talk._

“Really upset”, “regrets.” These were two things I didn’t associate with Levi ever being or feeling. He was always so emotionless and seemingly indifferent, and he’d always acted with confidence and assurance. At the end of the day, however, it didn’t make a difference how upset or regretful he felt if he didn’t say anything to me about it.

I scowled down at my phone and typed out a short reply to Mikasa:

_If he’s that upset about it he should fucking apologize to me for what he did_

**Mikasa Ackerman  
** _I know. I’ll try to get him to talk to you. He’s sleeping now_

**Me  
** _He can do whatever the hell he wants for all I care_

I slammed my phone onto the cushion beside me and let out a growled sigh. Reiner looked over at me.

“Everything alright?” he asked a touch cautiously.

“He’s fine,” I said. “It was some sort of accident and the injury's not that bad.”

“That’s good,” Reiner said. “You still feeling up for the job tonight? You can take the night off if you want.”

“No, I’m fine,” I said with a firm shake of my head.

We were going to the opening of a new club tonight. Reiner had gotten us fake IDs to get into the place. We were hoping to lock it down for the Wings as a place to move drugs. Since it wasn’t a club owned and operated by Erwin or another gang exec, management wasn’t on our side, so we’d have to function under the radar. This sort of job could get a bit stressful, since there was always a chance someone would call the cops on us. Reiner probably didn’t want me going if I was already feeling stressed out, but I wasn’t feeling all that worked up now. I had been thrown for the proverbial loop when I’d first heard the news, but now that I knew Levi was fine, I was feeling a lot less anxious.

“You can call it a night whenever,” Reiner said. “Just keep us posted about how you’re doing.”

“Thanks,” I said with a small nod.

Reiner was a bit of a mother-hen, which was rather surprising given his outward appearance of a meathead jock. He fussed over Annie and Bert quite a bit and when I hadn’t been eating well the first few days I was living with him and Bert, he’d taken to prepping every meal for me. I actually enjoyed living with the pair quite a bit, though I still missed living with Levi. Levi had said that if I proved myself I could live with him again. I’d shot him down of course, since I'd been so upset, but I did wish I’d be able to move in with him again. Maybe one day if we ever had a proper conversation, we could go back to how things had been. It would be tough, and I would always know in the back of my mind that he could turn on me because of a single word from Erwin. All the same, he was the most important person in my life and I’d take being second to Erwin if it meant being in his life again.

* * *

I wasn't very successful in my selling. Reiner and Bert were having no trouble on their end. They were use to schmoozing with people and talking them into buying drugs from them. I was too socially inept for this sort of job I soon discovered.

We’d gotten into the club without difficulty. The IDs Reiner had gotten us were flawless, since they were made by the gang's top forger. Reiner and Bert had split off to work the crowd. They’d left me with some pointers: go for the college kids who were out looking for a good time and just tipsy enough to think coke was a good idea and don’t go after anyone who was completely drunk. If we sold to someone who was drunk out of their mind and then they overdosed, we’d be fucked. The club had a cover charge of ten dollars and all the drinks cost an arm and a leg, so we knew for sure the college kids here would be able to afford our goods.

None of them were blown away by my sales pitches, however. I had approached a few groups and stumbled over the opening lines Reiner had given me. I’d been brushed aside immediately. 

I sighed as I ran my hands under the cold water. Perhaps I was a little too distracted with what had happened to Levi to be of any use tonight. I should probably find Reiner and tell him I was going to call it a night. 

I glanced up at the sound of the bathroom door opening and my eyes widened.

“Levi, what are you doing here?” I asked in confusion as my eyes fell on the reflection in the mirror.

Levi’s face twisted into a frown. His long hair was tied back in a ponytail and his bangs framed his angled face. Wait—long hair? Did he get hair extensions? He was also dressed completely out of character. He had on a tight mesh top that clung to his thin frame. Leather pants sheathed his legs and he had on thigh-high lace-up boots. 

“S-sorry,” I said. “You look a lot like someone I know.” I turned away from the mirror and stared at the Levi-look-alike. 

The similarities between them was honestly terrifying, but this _couldn’t_ be Levi. First of all, Levi had been shot today and this person looked completely intact. On top of that, this doppelgänger had nippling piercings, which were quite visible under his shirt—if the perforated article of clothing could be even called that. Levi didn’t have any body mods other than a tattoo of the Wings' symbol. 

“You know Levi?” The look-alike’s face broke into a wide grin. He crossed the room with quick strides, the heels of his boots clicking sharply on the floor. He came to a halt a few inches away from me. He came up to my nose because of the heels. 

“Y-yes,” I said slowly. I was starting to get a little nervous. Something about the sharp gleam in those gray eyes was causing my instincts to flare up and order me to make a run for it.

“Hmm,” Levi’s double said quietly. His eyes flicked up and down my body. “Are you Eren by chance?” He had a lilting, almost sing-song way of speaking. It was actually incredibly creepy to hear such a voice leave lips I knew all too well, and to see these sort of expressions on a face that was almost identical to Levi’s. This close I could that there was some small differences between their facial structures, and this guy had a small mole under his left eye. 

“I should go,” I said as I tried to hedge away from the guy.

“Don’t be silly; this is such a perfect coincidence,” the guy said.

“Uh, why?” I asked. I had a feeling that if I tried to leave, he’d pounce on me. 

“I’m going to need to borrow you for the night, Eren,” the man said with a wide, predatorial smile. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a handkerchief.

“What are you—?” 

The guy slammed the handkerchief against my face. I let out a muffled yell and tried to shove away from him, but his fist connected with my solar plexus. My breath was knocked out of my lungs and I grunted. I sank to my knees as a strange scent assaulted my nostrils. My head grew fuzzy. 

“That’s it,” Levi’s look-alike crooned. “Just go to sleep now.” 

I slumped against him as my consciousness flickered out. Darkness crept into the corners of my vision. I pushed weakly against him, but the chloroform had long since sapped me of my strength. My final, fleeting thought before I sank in oblivion was why on earth did this guy carry chloroform on his person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah-ha major plot point #1 successfully wrangled into the storyline


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: sexual assault, csa mention
> 
> have some cutesy fluff to start things off~

**Eren’s POV**

 

**About One Year Ago**

 

_“Um, Levi?” I asked hesitantly as I approached him where he sat on the couch._

_Levi looked up from the book he was reading. He gazed at me with soft gray eyes and closed the book, fitting his thumb between the pages to hold his place. I shifted and glanced away from his gaze. I tugged on the hem of my sweatshirt._

_“Yes?” he asked when I didn’t continue._

_“It, it was my birthday the other day,” I said quietly, “so I’m eighteen now.”_

_“Oh, it was your birthday,” Levi said with a slow nod. “Sorry, it’s been so busy. I should give you a present.” He stood up and put his book on the end table._

_“That’s okay,” I said quickly as he moved toward me. “That’s not what I meant. I—“_

_Levi leaned forward and lightly pressed his lips against mine. My eyes widened. He worked his lips gently against mine. His hand came up and cupped my cheek. After a few more moments of my stunned, non-responsiveness, he stepped back._

_“I said after you turned eighteen we could do it if you still wanted to,” he said as he ran a hand through his hair. “You don’t want to?” His gaze flickered to the side. His cheekbones were flushed slightly._

_“I want to!” I said. “I was just surprised; I thought you’d forgotten about that.”_

_“How could I forget?” Levi said with a light chuckle. He glanced up at me through his lashes. “I’ve been waiting too, you know.”_

_“Levi,” I murmured quietly._

_“Want the rest of your present?” he asked as he held his hand out to me._

_I carefully slipped my fingers into his palm. He wrapped his fingers around mine and led me to his bedroom. It was the first time I’d ever entered the room. Before then, his bedroom, like his office, had been off-limits to me._

_He took me to his bed and pushed me down on the mattress. I released a soft breath as I lay back. He shifted above me and brushed my hair off my forehead._

_“If you don’t like anything, say so and we’ll stop,” Levi said as his lips ghosted down my neck._

_I whimpered quietly._

_“Okay?”_

_I nodded._

_“L-Levi, I want you.”_

_It didn’t hurt, even though it was my first time. Levi was careful and diligent in opening me up. He didn’t rush even though I begged him to hurry up. I was melting with only his fingers inside me. I came when his fingers curled particularly sharply. Levi stared down at me in surprise and I cried out in embarrassment._

_“I’m sorry,” Levi murmured quietly. “I didn’t mean to make you come. We’ll stop here. It’ll be too much for you if we keep going.”_

_“N-no, please. I want you inside of me,” I begged him._

_Levi gazed down at me for a long moment. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. Finally he nodded. He pulled his fingers out. It took him a moment to put on the condom, but then he was pressing his cock against my entrance and pushing inside of me. I was relaxed from the orgasm and he slipped in with ease. There was a bit of a stretch and I whined from the small ache, but it felt good. He settled his pelvis flush against my ass and waited for me to catch my breath before pulling out and thrusting back in._

_He fucked me gently since every time he brushed my oversensitive prostate I sobbed loudly. I bit the back of my hand to stifle my cries, but Levi pulled my hand away._

_“I want to hear you,” he said in a tight voice._

_I begged him to take me harder. I wanted to drown in him. I wanted him to completely consume me._

_He did as I asked. He fucked me hard into the mattress until I was complete mess. After I came for the third time, I passed out. When I regained consciousness, Levi was carefully cleaning off my chest._

_“Did you…?” I began, but then I flushed in embarrassment._

_“I did,” Levi said._

_“Was it…was I…?”_

_“You were perfect, Eren.” He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “Happy birthday.”_

* * *

I blinked my eyes open slowly. My head felt foggy. I groaned quietly and tried to roll over. My wrists and ankles were bound in place. I gasped and my eyes shot open all the way. I tried to sit up as best I could as my eyes flickered around frantically.

I was lying spread eagle on a bed in an unfamiliar room. My ankles and wrists were cuffed to the bedposts. I was also dressed only in my boxers. I bit my lip as my gaze cast around for the man who had brought me here.

“You’re awake,” Levi’s doppelgänger said. He turned away from the large, bay window that dominated one wall. He was dressed only in the tight leather pants he’d been wearing in the club. He crossed the room and climbed onto the bed.

“Who, who are you?” I asked as my voice trembled. I swallowed as I watched him crawl across the mattress. “What do you want with me?”

“You mean Levi never mentioned me?” the man asked. He straddled me and pressed his ass down on my crotch.

I grimaced. His long hair had been released from the ponytail and trailed down past his pierced nipples. I glanced away as I tried to will my body not to respond.

“No,” I said quietly.

“I’m Rivaille.” The man brought his delicate fingers to his chest as he introduced himself. “Levi’s cousin.”

“Never heard of you,” I grumbled under my breath. “Will you get off of me?” I jerked my hips up in an attempt to dismount him, but this only served to rub my cock against the cleft of his ass.

“Heh,” he laughed quietly. He ground his hips down lightly and I squeezed my eyes shut. “I’m not surprised he never mentioned me. A little hurt—“ his face twisted in a small pout—“but not surprised.”

“What do you want with me?” I asked again.

“To play with you,” Rivaille said. He brought his finger to his mouth and scraped his teeth over the tip. “I like to take Levi’s toys and break them.”

“I’m not his toy,” I snapped as I yanked against the cuffs. “Let me go, you fucker.”

“You’re cute,” Rivaille giggled. He dropped onto his hands and slipped his knees between my legs. He sat back on his heels and gazed down at the slight bulge in my briefs. “From what I hear you’re Levi’s dog.” He ran his finger down my chest to my belly button.

“I’m not a dog or a toy,” I growled. I strained against the cuffs that bound my wrists.

“Stop that,” Rivaille said sharply. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“Fuck you!”

“Okay.” Rivaille smirked. He crawled to the edge of the mattress and began to fumble around inside the drawer of the bedside table.

“W-wait. What are you doing?”

Rivaille remained quiet. He set out a bottle of lube and a condom on the tabletop. He climbed off the bed and slipped off his pants. I stared at his back. His skin was perfect, like porcelain, a shocking contrast to Levi’s scarred body. He turned around and smiled down at me. His half-hard cock hung between his legs. I looked away quickly. It was about the same size as Levi's, though slightly more curved. He climbed back onto the bed and grabbed the condom and lube.

“What are you doing?” I asked again as he settled back on my lap. 

“Playing with Levi’s toy,” Rivaille said with a smile. He opened the lube and dribbled the liquid onto his fingers. He lathered his fingers together and dropped the tube aside.

I stared at him with wide eyes as he reached behind himself and worked a finger into his hole. His other hand pressed against my chest to balance himself. My mouth fell open as his face contoured. My mind couldn’t help but think of Levi when I saw that face twist with such expression. My cock strained against my boxers and I bit my lip. 

“Mm, do you like seeing Levi’s face like this?” Rivaille asked as he pushed in a second finger. He whimpered. “I bet he’s never let you top before.” He rocked his hips slowly as he opened himself up. “Not surprising. I only did him once when we were together. Oh, don’t look so horrified.” Rivaille chuckled. “We’re, like—“ his breath hitched—“second or third cousins. He cried the whole time. He didn’t tell me to stop. Apparently it reminded him of those times.” He gasped and paused his ministrations. His cock twitched and slowly grew erect. 

“Stop,” I whispered quietly. This was starting to scare me. I didn’t want to do this with Levi’s second or third or what-have-you cousin, and I certainly didn’t want to hear what was coming off his lips. On top of that, Levi had told me that if I let anyone other than him touch me like this, then he’d never sleep with me again.

“Did he never tell you about that?” Rivaille asked. “How his mother sold him to lecherous old men starting when he was seven. His backdoor was open to anyone and everyone who was willing to pay. He got passed around for eight years like that. No? He never mentioned that?” Rivaille shook his head. “He must not trust you that much.”

I spat in his face. Rivaille’s eyes went as wide as saucers and he froze. He looked like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on. The expression would have been amusing if it weren’t for the situation.

“Fuck off,” I hissed. “Levi doesn’t have to tell me anything he doesn’t want to. I’ll still trust him no matter what and nothing you say can get me to turn on him.”

“Oh, you figured it out,” Rivaille said with a small sigh as he wiped the glob of spit off his cheek. He drew his fingers slowly out of his passage. “I was telling the truth, though; I didn’t make any of that up. Levi really was fucked by old men when he was kid.”

I swallowed as he reached down and slipped his hand into my boxers. I bit the inside of my lip until I could taste blood. He released my aching member from the clothing. I whimpered quietly. Tears pricked my eyes. This couldn’t be happening. I wanted to go home—to Levi’s. I wanted to see Levi.

“What’s that scaredy-cat face for?” Rivaille asked as he lowered his hips slowly. His puckered passage brushed the tip of my cock. “I’m going to make you feel better in a way Levi never could.”

“Stop,” I whispered. My head was spinning and my breathing was growing frantic. Tears dripped out of the corners of my eyes. “Please, please stop. I don’t wanna. Please.” I sobbed quietly and bit my lip. It was so humiliating blubbering in front of the guy who was moments from forcing himself on me.

Rivaille stared down at me for a long moment.

“Please,” I whispered as I shook my head.

Rivaille let out an incredibly dramatic sigh and flopped onto the bed beside me. I stared at him. He groaned loudly and rolled onto his stomach. He kicked his legs against the bed. Was he throwing a tantrum? A small giggle bubbled up in my throat.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Stopping,” he grumbled into the pillow as he stilled. 

“Why?” I honestly hadn’t expected him to stop.

“I’m not going do it if you’re crying like a baby,” he snapped as he sat up on his elbows. “I’m not a complete monster.”

“You drugged me and kidnapped me and chained me up in your bed,” I said slowly.

“Yeah, like I said, not a _complete_ monster.” He groaned and dropped onto the mattress. “I’m so horny now.” 

“Um, can you let me go? I can’t really feel my fingers or toes.” 

“Oh, shit,” Rivaille muttered. He sat up and quickly sat to work undoing the cuffs. “Sorry ‘bout that. I must have set them too tight.” 

I kept my eyes shut as he crawled over me to undo the cuffs. When he had finished with the cuffs, he tossed them aside and sat down at the top of the bed. 

I sat up slowly and rubbed my wrists. My knees drew instinctively to my chest to conceal myself. Carefully, I tucked my dick back into my boxers. My boner had died down since I was no longer witnessing Levi’s look-alike finger-fuck himself.

“So, can I, like, leave now?” I asked. 

Rivaille sat with one knee drawn up to his chest and his wrist propped on it. He was frowning as he stared at me. He was a strange guy and his emotions ran all over the place, which only served as further incentive for me to get the hell out of here. 

“You, what are you to Levi?” he asked. 

I met his gaze for a long moment. I honestly didn’t know how to answer him. I didn’t know what I was to Levi. Was I his dog? His roommate? His fuck buddy? His friend? Hell if I knew. All I knew was that I would never be as important as Erwin and at the end of the day that was all that mattered.

“Nothing special,” I said quietly.

“You too, huh?” Rivaille said. He sighed and climbed out of bed. “Your clothes are on the chair over there. You can see yourself out.”

“That’s it? You’re just going to let me go?” I asked. I crawled to the edge of the bed and swung my legs off the mattress.

“Well, if you’re not important to Levi,” Rivaille said as he glanced at me over his shoulder, “then you’re useless to me.”

I stared at him as he walked to the door across from the window. He pushed it open to reveal a bathroom beyond. He slammed the door shut behind himself. I gazed at the sealed door as I reflected on his words. Well, the latter half of that statement I was perfectly fine with; the former? Not so much.

I moved to the chair and quickly got dressed. I searched through my pockets and found that my phone as well as the little baggies of drugs were still there. I took out my phone and checked the time. It was a little past one and I had three missed calls and four texts from Reiner.

I sighed quietly and called him as I left the bedroom. I found myself in a spacious living room. This apartment could have engulfed Levi’s and his was the largest one I’d ever been in. 

“Hello!” Reiner said.

“Hey, sorry,” I said as I walked to what looked like the main door. I pulled it open and found a short hallway that ended in an elevator.

“Shit, Eren, where have you been? We were so worried,” Reiner said. 

“I’m sorry. Something came up,” I said as I hurried to the elevator. I pushed the button and the doors slid open.

“Are you okay?” Reiner asked.

“Um, yeah.” _No_. Panic was engulfing me now. It was a little late to the party. I pressed the button for the lobby and sat back against the railing.

“Are you sure? You left without saying anything,” Reiner said. He sounded a touch hurt.

“I’m sorry. I met…someone who I needed to talk to. It happened really fast.” I didn’t particularly want to mention that I had been kidnapped by Levi’s cousin. 

“Okay, are you coming home now?” 

“I have to go see Levi,” I whispered.

“Oh, okay,” Reiner said. “If you need anything, let us know.”

“Thanks, Reiner.” I hung up the phone with trembling hands.

The elevator arrived in the lobby and I hurried off it. I went to the main double doors and ran out onto the street. I glanced around. I was in a posh part of town that I didn’t usual tread in. I went straight to the curb and hailed a cab. I wasn’t going to waste time on the subway. I needed to see Levi _now_.

It was a fifteen minute drive to his apartment. I was trembling from head to toe by the time we arrived. I paid the cabbie and climbed out. My heart was thundering in my chest as I mounted the steps and ran to the door. 

I still had my set of keys to the apartment on me and I fumbled to get them out. I dropped them. Tears pricked my eyes as I bent to pick them up. It was really starting to sink in what I had happened: the kidnapping, the almost assault, all those things Rivaille had told me about Levi. Worst of all still was the thought that I wasn’t important to Levi. 

I finally forced the key into the lock and twisted it open. I shoved the door open and stumbled inside. The light was on in the living room. Levi was perched on the couch with a book propped on the arm of the chair. I kicked the door shut behind me. 

Levi glanced around at the sound. His eyes widened in surprise when he caught sight of me. He dropped the book onto the end table and got to his feet.

“Eren, are you okay?” he asked as he hurried down the hall to me. He walked with a slight limp, favoring his right side. Beneath his tight white shirt I could see bandages.

"There's something we need to talk about," I said quietly.

"Yes, we should talk about that," Levi said as he glanced to the side.

"No, not  _that_."

Levi frowned

"Then what—?"

"I met Rivaille."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope that bit with rivaille wasn't off putting and the chapter was enjoyable~ levi and eren are finally in a room together again!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: sexual assault mention, abuse mention, suicide mention, torture mention
> 
> glad everyone enjoyed the Rivaille chapter! Rivaille is such a fun character to write. personally i think he's adorable in a psychotic sort of way lmao

**Levi’s POV**

 

_Rivaille_.

That one word sent me back years. 

I was thirteen and had just started living with my mom’s cousin and his son. Rivaille, who was fifteen, was energetic, kind. He cried when he saw the scars on my body. 

I was fourteen and Rivaille had become less energetic, less kind as the weight of his father’s expectations bore down on him. He asked me if I wanted to feel what my clients felt when they took me. He climbed on top of me and I let him. 

I was fifteen and Rivaille hated me with every facet of his being. I was smarter, stronger, and a better son in his father’s eyes than he could ever be. His father gave me purpose, meaning. I didn’t sell myself anymore. Rivaille and I were fucking because he hated himself more than he hated me and I wanted to drown in the hatred he gave me. 

I was sixteen and Rivaille tried to kill himself. I found him and called his father. Kenny dragged him back from the brink of death, only to scream at him and belittle him, calling him weak and pathetic. 

I was seventeen and Rivaille had moved out per his father’s wishes. It was a quiet year. Rivaille kept his head down and did as his father told him. 

I was eighteen and Rivaille asked me to move in with him. I agreed. He took me that night with my consent and I cried the entire time. Rivaille asked me if I hated him. I said I didn’t. He tried to kill me and I let him, but he broke down crying before the fingers around my throat could squeeze the life out of me. 

I was nineteen and Rivaille took the fall for his father. He was sentenced to five years in maximum security prison and I hadn’t seen him since. 

“Levi?”

Eren’s voice pulled me from my reverie. I stared at him as I released a slow, shaking breath. He was gnawing on his bottom lip. His hands twisted around the hem of his shirt. 

“Did he…what did he do to you?” I asked in a quiet voice as I took a step forward. I reached out to take his arm, but Eren stepped back hurriedly.

“Don’t touch me,” he whispered. His eyes were wide and red-rimmed.

I swallowed and dropped my hand to my side. Rivaille had done something to him; he had done something to Eren and I was going to kill him. 

“What happened, Eren?” I asked as I tried to bury the anger that was threatening to choke me.

“I’m sorry,” Eren whispered. He hung his head and stared down at the floor. Tears dripped down his cheeks.

“You don’t have to apologize.” My fingers twitched. I had to resist the urge to take him in my arms; he didn’t want me to touch him. 

“He laid his hands on me…you can’t touch me now… because I’m filthy.” Eren’s voice came out barely above a whisper and I had to strain to hear him. 

_If you ever let anyone else lay their hands on you, I’ll never touch you again. Because then you’d be filthy_. My own words echoed around inside of my head. My hand came to my mouth and I stared at Eren in horror.

“Eren, no, I didn’t mean that. I was teasing you. I didn’t mean for you to take that seriously.”

“When it’s you, I take everything seriously,” Eren murmured softly. “I’m sorry. I let him touch me.”

“Did you, did you let him?” I asked softly. My heart was in my throat and I felt like I was going to vomit, but I had to keep it together for Eren’s sake.

“I—no,” Eren mumbled. “I didn’t want to do anything.”

“Did he force you?” I couldn’t help the sharp edge that entered my voice. My hands curled into fists at my sides and began to tremble.

“He stopped when I asked him to,” Eren whimpered, “but he still…with him…I—“ His voice broke and quivering sob left his lips. “‘M filthy.”

“Eren, please; I don’t think you’re filthy,” I said slowly. “I’m so sorry I said that.” I shook my head slowly. Now I had one more thing I wanted to kick my past self’s ass for. “Will you tell me what happened?” 

“He drugged me and took me to his apartment,” Eren said in a quiet, monotonous voice. “I woke up chained on his bed and he got on top of me.”

Bile rose in my throat as I was swamped with the image of Rivaille hovering over me that first time. He’d been so gentle, so kind with me; I couldn’t imagine he’d approached Eren the same way. 

“I begged him to stop and he did.”

Rivaille always stopped when he was asked to. He would only do that sort of thing if the other party was willing because then it wasn’t just him deprecating you, but also yourself.

“Eren, I’d like to hug you. May I please?”

Eren nodded. I closed the gap between us in a split second. My arms wrapped around his neck and I pulled him against me. His face buried into the crook of my neck and he released a desperate sob. I patted his hair gently. His strong arms twined around my waist.

“I am so sorry that he did that to you,” I said in a shaking voice. 

I should never have let Eren out of my sight. If I hadn’t kicked him out, this never would have happened, but I couldn’t bring myself to apologize just yet. I didn’t want to make this about me begging for forgiveness; Eren needed time to work through his feelings.

"He told me things,” Eren murmured against my neck, “about you.”

“Don't worry about that stuff,” Levi said. “All he knows about me is from a long time ago. It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Are you sure?” Eren asked and I felt hot tears trickle down my neck.

God, was he crying about what ever fucked up shit Rivaille had told him about me? Why the hell was he crying for me when he had just been put through something so awful? I didn’t deserve someone as wonderful as Eren in my life.

“Don’t worry about it,” I said as I stroked his hair. “Did he say or do anything else?”

“He said he was letting me go ‘cause I’m not important to you,” Eren mumbled. 

I stiffened. _Rivaille, as disgustingly manipulative as ever,_ I thought. He’d made it his goal in life to turn everyone who cared about me against me and it seemed that still held true today. 

“And, I mean, I know I’m not,” Eren continued. “Erwin’s the most important person in your life and he always come first, but, still, it hurt to hear.”

“What are you saying?” I asked slowly. I pulled back from the hug and stared down at his face.

He pushed his hands against his eyes as tears continued to leak out. His shoulders were shaking slightly. He looked so small and fragile.

“I’m not important to you. I’m just second to Erwin.”

“It’s not about who comes first or second,” I said quietly. “He’s the boss, so I have to do as he says. I know I fucked up horribly when I threw you out in the way that I did, and I am so, so sorry I did that. I should have talked to you first and explained things better, but I thought if we talked, you’d be able to convince me to let you stay.”

“Why is that such a bad thing?” Eren asked, his voice breaking.

“Because I can’t go against Erwin, Eren. I just can’t. I’m so sorry about how I handled things. You deserved better than that.”

“But you won’t let me move in with you again?” Eren asked softly.

“Erwin wants you to live on your own for a bit and I think it will help you become more independent too,” I said, “but you can come over to play games and we can still hang out a lot. You just won’t accompany on my jobs.”

“O-okay,” Eren said hesitantly.

“Do you, do you forgive me?” 

Eren looked up. He gazed at me for a long moment. My body ached for an answer. If he rejected me, I honestly didn’t know what I would do with myself. 

“Yes,” Eren said.

I released the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. My fingers shook as I caught his hands.

“Thank you,” I said in a husky voice. “I’ll deal with Rivaille. You don’t have to worry about him.”

“I’m tired,” Eren said as he dropped his head against my chest. “Can I stay over?”

“Of course.” 

I led him to his old room. He plopped down on the bed and kicked off his shoes. He looked absolutely exhausted. He peeled off his shirt and pants and dropped them on the foot of the bed before curling up under the covers. He fell asleep almost immediately. I collected his clothes and brought his shoes to the rack in the hall. 

I went through his pockets to make sure I didn’t wash anything important. I took out his phone and several packets of cocaine. I sighed quietly. I’d heard through the grape vine that Eren was shacked up with two of the drug dealers who had gone to his school. Selling drugs was hardly the most dangerous path he could take. It could always lead to an arrest, but I had faith in Erwin’s lawyers.

Those particular drug dealers also answered to another faction of the Triad, which meant Eren was bringing in cash for a boss other than Erwin. He probably had no idea this was the case. He had a tendency to conflate the Wings and the Triad, when in reality the Wings were a sub-organization of the Triad. I'd have to ask him not to work with Reiner and Bert since bringing in a profit for their faction would be damaging to Erwin. On top of that, people were starting to wonder if Eren was jumping ship from the Wings.

I set the packets on the coffee table and plugged in Eren’s phone to charge.  I grabbed my phone. I had been expecting a call from Hange when Eren had shown up. Sure enough, I had two missed calls from the good doctor. I called them back and they picked up on the third ring.

“Levi, where are you?” they asked. 

“Sorry, something came up with Eren,” I said. I wrote out a quick note on a post-it note and stuck it to Eren’s door. I’d take it down if I got home before he woke up, but I didn’t want him to wake up with me gone without an explanation.

“Everything alright?” Hange asked.

“Yeah, it’s fine now.” I grabbed my jacket and pulled on my shoes.

“Well, I’ve got this guy on ice for you,” Hange said. “We’ve been waiting for half-an-hour so he should be ready to spill when you get here, but he’s a pretty tough nut.”

“You’re at the house on Abbott Drive, right?” I said as I left the apartment.

“Yep.”

“Alright, I’ll be there soon.”

I arrived at the safe house about ten minutes later. The night was quiet, the air chilled with impending rain. I climbed up the rickety steps and knocked on the door. It swung open by the hand of Hange’s assistant, Moblit Berner. The man nodded to me.

I returned the greeting and walked down the dingy hallway. Moblit locked the door and followed me. I approached the strip of light that was glowing from beneath the basement door. I pulled open the door and walked downstairs.

“You’re here,” Hange said as they looked up. 

They stood in a dank, musty basement. Their glasses were pushed up into their brunette locks. They smiled at me. A stray splatter of blood marred their face. In front of them, bound to a chair, was a man. His face was bruised and bloody. 

I walked slowly to the man in the chair. He looked up at me and his face blanched beneath the mottled bruising. This was another reason why Erwin had wanted Eren out of my hair. I hadn’t wanted Eren to know about these sort of jobs. I didn’t know what seeing this kind of violence would do to him with regards to his anger issues. I had taken on fewer and fewer jobs like this one when I was looking after Eren and Erwin wanted me back in this line of work. Between Hange and I, we could make anyone talk.

“Here.” Hange handed me a pair of gloves. They knew I didn’t like to get my hands dirty.

I pulled on the gloves with a loud snap of rubber. The man in the chair flinched. He was trembling. Sweat and blood dripped down his face.

“You really did a number on him already,” I observed.

“Like I said he’s a tough one to crack, but I’m sure you can fix that.”

“So, what’s the deal?” I said as I paced slowly toward the chair. I caught the man’s chin and pulled his head back. 

“He sold information about a drop spot and the Roses lost a huge profit,” Hange said as they rested their hands on their hips. "Pixis was hoping we could get to the bottom of this."

“Hm,” I said with a slow nod. “That’s all well and good.” My grip on his chin tightened and the man whimpered. “But what I want to know is if you know someone by the name of Rivaille.”

The man’s eyes widened. His gaze flickered between Hange and I. 

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’,” I said as I turned to the table of tools that Hange had laid out.

“Levi?” Hange said in confusion. 

“Rivaille resurfaces _and_  the Triad loses a profit. Too much of a coincidence,” I said as I picked up one of the instruments. I returned to the man’s side. “You’re working for Rivaille.” 

A sickening amount of fear glimmered in the man’s eyes as he stared at the tool in my hand.

“Tell me," I said quietly, “everything you know. For every question you answer I’ll only take one finger nail. For every question you don’t answer I’ll take two. We’ll keep going until—“

“Wait, please,” the man whispered. “I’ll tell you; that sort of thing isn’t necessary.”

“Oh, so you don't have shit for brains after all,” I said as I tapped the pliers against my palm. “Start talking; I don’t have all night.”

* * *

“Here.” Hange held out a cup of coffee for me.

I took it with a murmured ‘thanks’. I cradled the mug in my hands and soaked in the warmth. Moblit was cleaning up downstairs. After we’d coerced all the information we could out of the man, I’d gone upstairs to shower. I hadn't had to inflict any actually torture, but I had still felt disgusting. Hange had made us coffee during this time.

I stared down at the murky liquid. The man had explained to us that Rivaille had approached him with a large sum of money in exchange for the information about the drop spot. He had also sold information regarding some other drop spots. I had texted Erwin and Pixis about the compromised locations. It didn’t surprise me in the least that Rivaille’s first act upon being released from jail was to fuck with the Triad.

“Who’s this Rivaille character and how do you know about him?” Hange asked as they perched on the coffee table across from me. 

“His father was one of Zackly's right-hand men,” I explained, “but Zackly lost trust in him, so he tried to make Kenny take the fall for a failed heist. Rivaille took the fall instead and Kenny fled the city. His sentence was supposed to be five years, but I guess he got out earlier.” I shook my head slowly. “I knew he was out because he went after Eren tonight.”

“Eren?” Hange said. “What does he have to do with this?”

“Nothing really,” I murmured quietly, “except that he’s in my life, which makes him a target in Rivaille’s eyes.”

Hange waited patiently for me to continue.

“Rivaille’s my cousin,” I said.

“Does Erwin know?” Hange asked. 

“Yes. Erwin knows everything.” 

I sighed quietly. I wasn’t exaggerating when I said Erwin knew everything. Rivaille's parting gift to me had been to convince his father that I had betrayed him. Kenny had lost it on me. I had gone straight to his house upon hearing of Rivaille's arrest, not knowing there was more to it or that I was in peril for doing so. I shivered at the thought. He’d pinned me down; beaten me; raped me. He had yelled at me, asking me if I had ever loved him or if I had just been using him. He kept saying over and over again how he'd thought of me as his own son. 

Erwin had been sent to finish Kenny off since he’d gotten off of the heist charges because of Rivaille.  He had entered the apartment to find Kenny on top of me. Erwin took a shot at Kenny, but the man grabbed me and threw me at Erwin. I knocked into him and because of this the shot went wide. Kenny managed to escape as Erwin tried to untangle himself from me. 

I begged Erwin to kill me. Without Kenny, I was nothing. He had given me meaning, purpose. Because of him, I had stopped selling myself on street corners. Without him, I had nothing; I was nothing. 

Erwin changed that. He changed everything. He didn't kill me. Instead, he saved me in a way Kenny never could have.

“Levi.” Hange gently placed their hand on my knee. Their large brown eyes gazed at me through their thick lens. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” I said quietly. I took a sip of coffee.

“And what about, Eren?”

“He’ll be okay, I think. Rivaille didn’t do much to him, just scared him a bit.”

Rivaille had let Eren go because he’d thought that Eren wasn’t important to me. A chilling thought suddenly occurred to me. The only thing that would keep Eren safe from Rivaille was if the man continued to think this was the case. If I kept Eren in my life, even in a small capacity, Rivaille could come for him again. And next time he might not let Eren go unscathed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i read this fan theory somewhere that in the manga when hange doesn't have their glasses on they go into this badass mode and i just think that's such a cool idea. like with them on hange is all rainbows and butterflies cause of rose-colored lenses or whatever but without them they're stone cold  
> anywho hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. levi and eren have finally made up but now levi is worried for eren's safety if eren stays friends with him :0


	8. Chapter 8

**Eren’s POV**

 

I woke to the familiar sound of Levi in the kitchen. I rubbed my forehead as I sat up slowly. There was a dull ache behind my eyes, probably an aftereffect of the chloroform Rivaille had knocked me out with. 

I crawled out of bed. I found my freshly laundered clothes at the foot of the mattress. My phone sat on top of them along with the bags of cocaine. I grimaced at those. I hoped Levi didn’t think I was using. Then again, if he did, he probably would have flushed the drugs down the toilet. No, that wasn’t accurate; he’d just take them and make a profit of them himself. He hated losing money for the Wings.

I got dressed and stuffed the baggies and my phone into my pockets. I left my room and headed for the kitchen. As I’d expected, I found Levi bustling around the kitchen. He was scrambling up a batch of eggs. Watching him work was so familiar and comforting. It put me at ease after everything that had happened the night before.

Levi turned around when he heard me approach the counter. His cheeks were pale and heavy shadows hung under his eyes. He didn’t look like he’d slept a wink last night. Levi wasn’t one for sleeping, but it still worried me to see him so obviously exhausted.

“Morning,” Levi said with a small nod. He turned back to the eggs and moved them from the skillet to a plate.

“Hi,” I said as I settled onto one of the barstools that stood by the counter.

“How are you feeling?” Levi asked as he brought the plate of eggs to the counter. He got me a fork as well and handed it to me. 

“I’m good,” I said with a nod as I dug into the food. I actually was feeling a lot better than I had been the night before. 

Levi had made it obvious that Erwin would always be his top priority, but I still mattered to him to some extent. I glanced up at him with a small smile. He was watching me eat with hooded eyes. He looked horribly exhausted.

“You okay?” I asked. I picked up a glob of egg and held it out for him.

He leaned forward and daintily took the egg off the fork with his mouth.

“I’m fine,” he said after he’d swallowed. “Just tired.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Erwin had me do a sort of job that I don’t particularly like last night.” A small grimace twisted his lips. 

I recognized the look as the one he gave when he'd admitted more than he intended to. I absolutely loved garnering that look from him; to me it meant that he felt comfortable enough around me to let his guard down.

I didn’t much like the sound of him doing a job he didn’t liked, however. I knew full-well there were aspects to this line of work that were absolutely cringe-worthy and despite having been immersed in this world since he was a child, Levi still cringed. A couple of months ago, I'd even woken in the middle of the night to the sound of him throwing up. Levi didn't drink and almost never got sick, so I knew something had to be really the matter. I'd gone to help him. I'd found him in the bathroom, stooped over the toilet. When I'd asked him about what was wrong, he'd muttered something about 'a shitty job'. 

“You look really tired,” I said as I fed him some more eggs. “You should take a nap."

“I probably will,” Levi admitted. “There’s something we need to talk about first.” His brows furrowed. He stared down at his hands.

“Um, okay,” I said. I set the fork down on the plate. 

I didn’t much like the sound of that. Levi wasn’t a bigger talker. That was an understatement; he would throw me out as opposed to sitting down and talking about something. It meant a great deal to me that he wanted to talk to me about whatever was on his mind, but I was still a touch apprehensive.

“With the situation with Rivaille as it is right now, I think it would be best if we didn’t interact to an obvious extent,” Levi said in a slow, diplomatic voice. He was choosing his words with the utmost care. “Texts and calls are okay, but we shouldn’t hang out much.”

“But yesterday you said I could come over to play games and we could hang out,” I murmured quietly. 

“I know,” Levi said, “but Rivaille is on a bit of a crusade against the Triad and me from what I learned last night.” Levi propped his chin on his fist. He still hadn’t look at me. His grey eyes were staring at the stainless steel faucet. “As of right now Rivaille is functioning under the inaccuracy that you aren’t important to me. If this were to change, then you’d be in danger.”

“Are, are you saying I’m in important to you?” I asked quietly. 

Levi had never admitted as much before. I wasn’t stupid; I knew I meant _something_ to him. He wouldn’t be so gentle when he got me back under control if I didn’t. 

“You knew that already,” he muttered as a flush overcame his face.

“Not really,” I said. I rubbed the back of my neck. “You’ve never said it before and it’s hard to tell what matters to you because you always seem so indifferent about everything.”

Levi looked at me. His heavily shadowed, grey eyes pierced into my green ones. He blinked slowly. His face didn’t emote in the slightest. Finally he leaned toward me and caught the front of my shirt. I swallowed as he pulled me within an inch of his face.

“I don’t fuck people, who aren’t special to me,” he said in a low voice. “I haven’t for a while now anyway.”

I started to open my mouth to speak, but he pressed his lips against mine. I grunted. The kiss was hard, possessive. I opened my mouth more for him and his tongue slipped inside. I moaned and grabbed his pants by the belt loops. I pulled him against the bar stool and twined my legs around his. Levi hummed quietly into the kiss. It was hot and messy. I was starting to grow light-headed from the lack of oxygen. When Levi pulled back, he was panting shallowly. I, on the other, sounded like I had just run a marathon. 

“You understand that we can’t see each other for while, right?” Levi said in a husky voice.

“I understand.”

“Good.” Levi stepped back and pulled me off the stool. "Now let me fuck you so you have something to fantasize about while we’re apart.”

I nodded eagerly. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled myself off the floor. He caught me by my thighs. I nipped at his neck as he carried me to the couch. Typically we did it in his bedroom since the cleanup was easier, but he clearly didn’t want to waste any time. I was already half-hard as I pressed up against his warm body. Levi stumbled slightly over the carpet and we fell in a mess of limbs onto the couch. I giggled and he released a small chuckle. He sat back on his knees on the couch cushion and yanked me up by my shirt. He grabbed the hem of the article of clothing and pulled it off my body like it had some how offended him. He pushed me back onto the couch and lay his body flush against mine.

His teeth found my nipple and bit into the hardening nub. I whimpered loudly and my hips rutted up against him. Levi’s fingers pinched and toyed with the other nipple. I whined loudly. My body was starting to heat up and I had to bite my lip to keep from moaning openly. 

Levi’s free hand undid my pants and pushed inside. I mewed loudly as his hand wrapped around my cock. 

“You’re already dripping,” he murmured. He sat back on his heels as he lazily jerked me off.

I bit my lip as I blushed. I turned my head to the side and hid my face in my arm. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Levi smirk. He worked my pants and briefs off my hips and tossed them aside. My blush deepened as I was completely exposed to him.

Levi caught me by my hair and pulled my head to the side. I gasped. He pushed his fingers into my mouth.

“Make them wet,” he ordered.

I nodded as I began to suck and twine my tongue around his fingers. I gazed up at him as I worked. His cheeks were painted with a soft flush. His hungry eyes flickered up and down my body. I squirmed slightly under the penetrating stare. 

Levi drew his fingers slowly out of my mouth. I whined in quiet disappointment. Levi chuckled. He brought his fingers to my puckered entrance. My toes curled in anticipation. Slowly, he pushed his index finger into my passage and he set about opening me up. 

I was a whimpering mess by the time he had worked in three fingers. My legs pressed against his thighs. The hand that wasn’t being swallowed in my pulsing heat was braced against my knee.

“Levi,” I finally managed to work out between moans. “Please, I need you inside of me.”

“Shit,” Levi muttered under his breath as he drew out his fingers, causing me to whine. “I need to get a condom.”

“No, it’s okay,” I said. My legs tightened to keep him in place. “I want you to come inside.”

Levi wrinkled his nose, but I also saw the bulge in his pants twitch slightly. A small frown pinched his eyebrows. He was clearly having an internal struggle between it-would-feel-better-without-a-condom and it-would-make-a-huge-mess. I took advantage of his hesitation. I sat up and quickly drew his cock out of his loose sweatpants. Levi’s breath caught. He stared down at me as I dragged my tongue from the base of his member to the tip. His hips twitched slightly, but he suppressed the urge to thrust into my mouth. I wrapped my lips around the crown of his dick. Levi grunted quietly. I slowly bobbed my head up and down, carefully bringing more of him into my mouth each time. I focused on getting him as wet as possible, but from the tiny moans he was having trouble hiding, I had half a mind just to get him off.

“That’s enough,” Levi said. He grabbed my shoulder and shoved me back onto the couch. 

I gasped as he caught my hips. He brought the head of his cock to my twitching entrance. He pressed inside. The stretch was painful and I whimpered. My hand flew to my mouth and my teeth dug into my flesh. Levi watched me as he continued to push inside of me. I whined as my body opened for him. Tears pricked my eyes. When he finally buried himself completely inside of me, I released a sob of relief.

“Okay?” Levi asked as he took my hand away from my mouth.

I nodded, not trusting my voice to manage anything articulate. 

“I’m going to move now.”

I nodded again. Levi pulled out a short way and thrust back in shallowly. I gasped and my back arched slightly off the couch. Levi had brushed _that_ spot. A sharp lance of pleasure shot through my body, mitigating the pain that was still burning. 

Levi continued to drive his cock against my prostate. Once the pain of entry had dissipated entirely and I was whimpering desperately beneath him, he picked up the pace. I rutted my hips against him with every thrust. I was panting and moaning like a porn star at this point. It was honestly humiliating, but I didn't care because I was with Levi and I knew how much he loved the sounds I made.

Levi’s hands slid up my body. I whimpered as they closed in my throat. He carefully wrapped his hands around my neck as he continued to pound into me. His fingers tightened and I moaned loudly. Levi gasped as my passage spasmed around him.

His hands gripped my throat without restraint. I choked. Tears pricked my eyes. My head spun. My hands scrabbled for purchase on the couch cushions. Levi’s grip loosened. I gasped and released a heavy cough. Levi continued to thrust ruthlessly into me. I sobbed quietly. It came out hoarse and broken. Levi’s face was its typical mask of indifference, but I knew he was watching carefully to make sure I was okay.

“Levi,” I whimpered in a husky voice, “‘m gonna come.”

“You can come once I have,” he said sharply. His hands tightened around my throat again.

My mouth worked on empty air. My lungs were completely depleted and my head began to spin again. Tears leaked out of my eyes. Levi pounded into me. My toes curled, but I tried to will down the orgasm. I whimpered and bit my lip as I felt heat pool in my stomach. My hips jerked. I quickly tapped Levi’s wrist. His eyes widened and he hurriedly loosened his grip. 

“Eren—“

“‘m coming,” I whimpered.

Levi’s hand wrapped around my cock and squeezed. I whined loudly as he choked off my orgasm. My hips jerked and my passage spasmed. 

“Good boy,” Levi purred as his other hand braced against my chest. “You don’t want to come until you’ve satisfied me.”

‘Want’ was a bit strong. My body felt like it was on fire. I whimpered and coughed weakly. Levi’s weight eased up on my chest. He changed the angles of his thrusts. The head of his cock rammed against my prostate. My eyes widened. My passage tightened and a shudder coursed through my body. My hips jerked. A strand of cum dripped off the tip of my cock, which Levi still had an excruciatingly tight grip on.

“Oh? Did you just come?” He _tsk_ ed quietly. 

“Sorry,” I whimpered desperately. Tears fell down my cheeks. My chest rose and fell heavily. I was completely light headed by now and felt close to passing out.

Levi recognized all of this. He grabbed my hips and picked up his pace. I mewed and grabbed the arm of the couch as he pounded into me. My cock slapped wetly against my stomach. I wrapped my legs around Levi’s waist. My passage spasm as he rubbed my prostate. I came hard over my chest at the same moment that Levi came deep inside of me. 

I whimpered as I felt his hot cum course through my passage. We almost never did it without a condom, so the feeling of being filled like this was a rather strange one. I released a trembling breath, which turned into a sharp sob. My body felt like jello. My arms and legs were tingling.

“Good boy,” Levi murmured as he kissed me gently on the forehead. He lifted me carefully off the couch. 

His cock was still buried inside of me. I wrapped my legs weakly around his hips. I could feel his cum starting to drip out of my passage. I knew he didn’t want to make a mess so I squeezed my ass as best I could to keep it inside. Levi grunted quietly. 

“Don’t break my dick off,” he muttered as he carried me to the bathroom.

I grumbled under my breath. My mind was a haze of afterglow so I couldn’t properly articulate a stinging retort. 

He carefully slipped out of me and set me down on the edge of the bathtub. I whined as his cum dripped out of my passage. I dropped against his stomach. He petted my hair and let me stay like that for a few minutes.

“How do you feel?” he asked as he tipped my chin back to examine my neck.

“Good,” I mumbled. I winced slightly at the pain in my throat. “Is it going to bruise?”

“Yes,” Levi said. His lips twitched slightly. “It looks like a collar.”

“Fuck off,” I mumbled. 

Levi chuckled softly.

“I like it,” he said as he brushed his fingers gently against my tender skin.

“Shut up,” I mumbled as I duck my head. “I’m not some dog.”

“I don’t think you’re a dog, Eren,” Levi said quietly as he ran his fingers through my hair.

“Everyone else does.”

“Fuck everyone else,” Levi said. “I mean, please don’t, but you know what I mean.”

I giggled and rubbed my head against his stomach. 

“Let’s get you cleaned up. Then, fuck, do I need to sleep.”

After I had been cleaned up of the various body fluids that were on and in me, Levi brought me my clothes. I got dressed and he made me more eggs at my tentative request. He simply rolled his eyes and muttered about how I was always hungry after sex.

After I’d eaten my second breakfast, Levi saw me to the door. He wanted to try to catch a few more hours of sleep before going into the office.

“So, this is goodbye,” I mumbled as I straightened up from putting on my shoes.

“For now,” Levi said with a small nod.

“Levi, is Rivaille…dangerous?” I glanced at him. 

“You don’t have to worry,” Levi said as he reached out and ruffled my hair. “I can handle him, and he won’t try anything with you again if we keep our distance from each other. Take care of yourself, okay Eren?”

“Okay,” I said with a nod.

“You’re doing alright controlling your temper, right?” Levi said.

“I’ve gotten into a few fights, but nothing too bad,” I said with another nod.

“Good. Call me if you need anything.”

“I will. Bye Levi.”

“Bye Eren.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm feeling a bit of writer's block rn so this chapter feels a little weak, but i hope people still enjoyed it


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you to all my readers who have left such lovely comments on this! i love reading all of your comments! uvu
> 
> cw: sexual assualt, csa

**Eren’s POV**

 

It had been a few days since I had left Levi’s place. When I had returned to Reiner and Bert’s apartment, Reiner had been there. He had fussed over me, making sure I was okay after my disappearance from the club. Once I had finally assured him that I was fine, he let me be. He didn’t try to pry into what had happened to me at the club, for which I was grateful. I didn’t want to get into the Levi-Rivaille drama. I also didn’t much want to think about the former. I missed him a great deal even though we had texted quite a bit these last few days.

A sharp rapping on the door made me look up. I was alone in Reiner and Bert’s apartment. They were off on a job, but Reiner had insisted on giving me the week off. They had managed to secure a significant profit from the club opening and were doing smaller, easier-to-handle jobs. 

I didn’t much feel like talking to anyone, so I opted for pretending no one was home. A lack of answer did not deter whoever was at the door, however. I groaned in annoyance as the knocking persisted. I climbed off the couch and went to the door.

“What?” I demanded as I yanked it open.

“Hi.” Rivaille gave me a cheerful smile as he shoved a six pack of beer into my hands. “What’s up?”

“Rivaille.” I gaped at Levi’s cousin as he let himself into the apartment. “What are you doing here?” 

“I came to say ‘hi’,” Rivaille said as he bent to undo the zippers of his knee-high boots. When he had removed the shoes, he wandered into the living room. He plopped down on the couch.

“How did you know where I was?” I asked cautiously. I closed the door and followed him into the living room. I put the beer onto the coffee table and frowned down at him. 

“It’s not exactly a secret.” Rivaille laughed. “Gimme a beer.”

“It’s, like, three in the afternoon,” I said, but I did hand him one of the beers. I sat down on the couch beside him. I didn’t want to set him off by demanding he get out, even though that was exactly what I wanted to have happen. 

I watched Levi’s cousin as he downed half the beer in one go. He let out a loud sigh as he plunked the can down on his knee.

“I heard Levi kicked you out a week ago,” he said. “I wouldn’t have gone after you if I had known.” He sounded almost apologetic, but I was fairly certain I wouldn’t get more out of him in that regard.

“Oh, it’s okay,” I said. I drew the hood of my sweatshirt higher around my neck to conceal the bruising. 

Rivaille’s eyes caught on the movement. He grabbed the front of my sweatshirt and yanked the article of clothing down. I yelped as my neck was exposed to him. His eyes narrowed slightly.

“That’s new. Did Levi do that to you?” He released his hold on my sweatshirt and sat back against the couch. “He has a choking fetish.” He flashed me a grin. 

“Uh, he did,” I said as I hid my neck with the sweatshirt once more. “I went to his apartment after you…I saw you.”

“Ooh, did you guys bang?” Rivaille asked with a giggle. He finished off his beer and grabbed another can.

“Yes,” I said slowly. For all Rivaille’s antics I had a feeling that he’d be able to pick up on any lie I tried to get past him. “But he said that he doesn’t want to see me anymore.” I glanced down at the floor. This was close enough to the truth that I felt like I could get away with it.

“That’s rough,” Rivaille said as he patted my arm.

“It’s fine,” I said with a shrug. It was so not fine. I missed Levi and it was all this dick head’s fault that I couldn’t see him. I scowled at the thought.

“Yeah, you sure look like you’re fine with it.” Rivaille chuckled.

“I don’t really wanna get into it with you,” I muttered. I propped my chin on my hand and glowered at the television. It was turned on, but the volume was rather low since I hadn’t really been watching it before Rivaille showed up.

“‘Cause Levi and I used to sleep together?” Rivaille said.

“What’s the deal with you two anyway?” I asked.

Levi had said Rivaille was after him and the Wings and from the sound of it he had a personal grudge against them; he had also told me to stay away from Rivaille and yet here I was hanging out with the guy in my living room.

“Oh, what’s this?” Rivaille asked. He leaned toward me, a rather feral smile splitting his face. “I thought you said you trust Levi and that you don’t care what he does and doesn’t tell you about his past.”

“I, I do trust him,” I said. I pressed against the arm of the chair in a vain effort to distance myself from the older male. “I’m still curious, and it’s not like we’re ever going to talk again so I won’t find out any other way.” I glanced down at the floor. I really did what to know what about Rivaille and Levi's past made them hold such animosity for each other today.

“Well, I’m in a chatting mood,” Rivaille said as he set his second empty can down on the table. He picked up a third and kicked his feet up on the coffee table. “I’ll tell you _if_ you tell me a little something about yourself.”

“Like what?”

“Like—“ Rivaille blew out his cheeks as he cast around for something to ask me— “how ‘bout how you came to live with Levi.”

“My mom died and my dad got strung out on drugs. We lost our house, so I was living on the street for about a year, and then Erwin and Levi found me.” I spoke in a flat voice. This was a story I’d recounted several times. I didn’t particularly care who did or didn’t know this tale. 

“So, what? Levi took you in out of the kindness of his heart.” Rivaille threw back his head and guffawed at this thought. 

“No, Erwin made him. He didn’t want to and he was pissed off about it for a couple months, but eventually he grew to accept it. We lived together for three years.”

“And he threw you out just like that?” Rivaille snapped his fingers. He let out small sigh as he wiggled back against the couch. “Levi and I lived together for six years. My father took him in when he found out Levi’s mom was whoring him out. Kenny has a fucked up morale compass, but the one thing he won’t condone is child prostitution. Levi has a younger sister. I don't know if they share a father. Kuchel always doted on Mikasa and didn't introduce her into such a disgusting lifestyle. All the same, she was shit at raising kids, so Kenny had Mikasa moved into his brother's house. My uncle and his wife took good care of Mikasa. We didn't see much of her growing up, since my uncle wasn't a gang member and wanted Mikasa as far from this life as possible. That didn't stop her from getting involved though.

"I saw Levi's scars a few days after he first moved in with us. He was covered in them. All sorts of different kinds, like someone or many someones had turned his body into a canvas. It was so upsetting I actually cried when I saw them." Rivaille laughed at the memory. "His clients were into all sorts of fucked up play and that's how he'd come by them.  About a year later, Levi and I started sleeping together. I was sixteen. He was fourteen. Oh, don’t look at me like that.” Rivaille laughed at the horrified expression that had crossed my face. “It was perfectly consensual."

"He was still just a kid," I muttered under my breath.

"It's called the Romeo and Juliet clauses. Now, do you want to hear the story? Or do you want to question my morale standing?" Rivaille said with a laugh. "My father loved Levi; absolutely adored him; thought he’d hung the fucking stars in the sky. Levi’s smart, worlds smarter than me. My father liked him more than he liked me. He was always saying shit like 'why can’t you be more like Levi’ or ‘Levi would have done a better job’ or ‘I should kill you in your sleep and have Levi be my son’. None of that’s very fun to hear when you’re just a kid. 

“So us sleeping together slowly turned into us hate fucking each other. Well, that’s not true. I hated him and me, and he didn’t give a fuck about me or anyone else. He still whored himself out even after Kenny took him in. He didn’t know what else to do. He had grown up on cock, so it made sense that he wouldn’t be able to give it up.”

I felt myself growing sick from Rivaille’s words, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell him to stop. I stared at him with sick fascination as he spilled these secrets that Levi never _ever_ would have told me himself.

“Eventually Kenny was able to convince him that he had purpose outside of being a warm place for some old guy to bury his dick. He stopped selling himself when he was about fifteen. We kept fucking though. We fucked for four years. Then Zackly betrayed my father and tried to make him take the fall for a job that went wrong, but I jumped in at the last moment to take the wrap. You know, in a last ditch effort to prove myself to my father.” He grinned at me. “I was sentenced for five years, but I got out for good behavior.”

“What do you mean Zackly betrayed your father?” I asked. 

I had never heard of a man named Kenny or that the Triad's leader had betrayed one of his men. Zackly was a good leader and everyone I knew held him in high regard. I'd never heard so much as a rumor of him turning on one of his men.

“Kenny was his right-hand man, but Zackly lost trust in him.” Rivaille shrugged. “This sort of thing happens. I took the fall and Kenny fled the city. Before that, I did manage to convince him it was Levi’s fault that Zackly betrayed him.” Rivaille laughed at the thought. “I wonder what he did to Levi. To think his perfect son betrayed him like that.” Rivaille giggled.

“So you hate Levi because you have serious daddy issues,” I said before I could stop myself.

Rivaille stared at me for a long moment. Finally he burst into a fit of laughter. He tried to stifle the giggles by pressing his hand to his mouth. 

“You could say that,” he said when his laughter had died down. He took a long sip of his beer. “I tried to forget all about Levi when I was in prison. I drowned myself in sex; got fucked by about every inmate and guard that place had to offer.” He laughed dryly.“I wanted to get out and leave this shit hole of a city behind, but I guess I’m just too obsessed with him to give him up.” He looked at me over the rim of his beer can. “So, there you have it. The rather abbreviated, incredibly pathetic life story of Rivaille and Levi Ackerman. I hope it didn’t leave a bad taste in your mouth.” He grinned at me.

I looked down at my hands, which I had clasped between my knees. My stomach was twisting itself into knots. The story was horrible and made bile creep up the back of my throat, but worse than that I felt like I had betrayed Levi’s trust. I shouldn’t have asked Rivaille to tell me all of this. I should have waited for when…if Levi felt comfortable telling me.

“No need to look so down,” Rivaille said as he clapped me on the shoulder. “Levi’s tough. This sort of stuff doesn’t get to him. He’s indifferent about everything.”

I glanced over at Rivaille. He was smiling at me. I didn’t understand how he could smile after telling me all the things he had, but here he was, looking entirely unaffected by all of it.

“What about you?” I asked quietly.

“What about me?”

“Does this sort of stuff get to you?”

Rivaille blinked slowly. His head cocked to the side as his gray eyes appraised me. He placed the beer can on the coffee table. I watched him. He remained unmoving for a long moment. Suddenly he twisted around and climbed into my lap. I gasped as he wrapped his arms around my neck. 

“Rivaille, what—?”

“I don’t need your pity,” he purred. “I’m quite content with my lot in life.” He nuzzled his face against my neck. "I do know what it feels like to be thrown aside by Levi, so if you want to forget about him—“ he ground his ass down on my crotch— “I’d be more than happy to help with that.”

“Rivaille, cut it out,” I hissed. I grabbed his hips and tried to shove him off of me, but he clung to me like a vine.

“Come on. Don’t you want to get back at Levi for what he did? Fucking you and then throwing you aside like that. I bet he doesn’t want you to have anything to do with me. What better way to get back at him than to fuck me?”

“I don’t want to get back at him,” I snapped.

“I’m curious.” Rivaile nibbled my neck as he cocked to rock his hips in a way that was making me respond. “When did you two start fucking? Did he take you when you were still underage?”

“No, he’s not a fucking pedo like you. Seriously, cut it _out_.” I punctuated this last word with a particularly hard shove.

Rivaille’s ass slid back on my lap, but his arms were still tightly coiled around my neck. He glanced up at me and smirked. He was really starting to piss me off. I didn’t much care about his advances, but the fact that he was reminding me how Levi had asked me to stay away from him ate away at me.

“Come on.” Rivaille pouted. “You already betrayed his trust by asking me about his past, so let’s take the next step.”

I snapped. I yanked Rivaille’s arms off of my neck and pinned him to the couch. He grunted. I pulled my fist back and slammed it into his face. Rivaille whimpered from the blow. His face twisted in pain. My fist shot back again, but I froze as I stared at his face. Blood trickled out of his nose. His eyes were wide as he stared at me. There was a spark of fear in their depths. He looked so much like Levi, though I had never seen Levi with such an expression on his face. All the same, seeing Levi's face with such an expression was enough to quell my anger. Slowly, I sat back on my heels.

“Wow,” Rivaille said in a shaking voice, “so that’s what the rogue dog looks like when he’s angry. Scary.” He propped himself on his elbows.

“S-sorry,” I stammered. I stood up off the couch and rubbed the back of my neck, which was clammy with sweat.

“No need to apologize,” Rivaille said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I was curious about your rumored wrath so I wanted to see it first hand.”

“You were egging me on.” I glared down at him.

“It’s my speciality,” Rivaille said in a nasally voice.

“That’s fucked up.”

“Thank you,” Rivaille said as if I had bestowed upon him the most heartfelt compliment. He was smiling up at me as blood trickled over his lip.

“You’re fucking weird,” I muttered under my breath.

Before Rivaille could speak—he probably would have thanked me again—my phone rang. I frowned and pulled it out of my pocket. Levi was calling.

“Shit,” I muttered. “I have to take this.”

Rivaille shrugged. He got off the couch and went to the kitchen where he fetched a handful of paper towel to deal with his bloody nose. I answered the phone.

“Hello?” 

“Eren.”

“Hey, what’s up?” I went to the sliding door that opened onto the balcony and stepped outside. I slid the door shut behind me.

“Where are you right now?”

“Reiner’s apartment. Why? Is something the matter?” Something in Levi’s voice was causing panic to rise in my chest.

“Stay there. Don’t go out today and definitely don’t go out tonight.”

“What? Why?”

“Someone’s targeting Wings.”

“What do you mean?” I glanced over to Rivaille, who had returned to the couch and was now lying upside down on with the wad of paper towel pressed to his face.

“Someone took out Oruo.”

“He, he’s dead?” I said in a quavering voice.

“Yes.”

“Why? How?”

“I don’t know why, but do _not_ leave Reiner’s apartment. Oruo’s not the only one who’s dead. You have to stay indoors. You understand me?”

“Levi, is it that serious?”

“Yes,” Levi said in a quiet voice. “Just stay where you are.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be fine; don’t worry.”

“But Levi—“

“I have to go.” Levi hung up before I could get another word out.

I stared down at my phone. Oruo was dead, and he wasn’t the only one. My hands began to tremble. I’d always known that gang life was no walk in the park, but this was a whole other level.  I walked slowly back into the living room. Rivaille sat up.

“Is everything okay?”

“Did you do this?” My voice was trembling slightly as I spoke.

“Do what?” Rivaille cocked his head to the side.

“Did you kill Oruo and the others?”

Rivialle’s eyes narrowed.

“No,” he said in a cold voice. “I don’t know anyone named Oruo and I certainly have never killed anyone. Were they Wings?”

“Yes,” I said quietly.

“I have to go.” Rivaille tossed the bloody paper towel onto the coffee table next to his empty beer cans. A dark scowl twisted his face. 

Suddenly my phone rang again. I glanced down at it. Reiner was calling.

“Hello?” I answered hurriedly.

“Eren, we need help.”

“Are you okay?”

“Someone’s taking out Wings.”

“I know. Levi just called me. Are you guys okay?”

“For now. Someone tried to jump us in a back alley. We got away, but Bert got hurt.”

“Is he okay?”

“He should be if we can get him to a doctor. You know Levi’s doctor, right?”

“Yeah, I know where Hange lives.” 

Hange’s home address wasn’t privy to most of the gang, but I had been patched up enough times by them that I had an open invitation to their house.

“Will you take us there?”

“I’ll come get you now,” I said. “Text me where you are”

“Okay.” Reiner hung up.

“You’re going out there?”

“I have to find my friends.” 

“And what about the loonies who are picking off Wings?” Rivaille snapped.

“They’re my friends. I have to help them.” 

I ran to the front door. Levi had been desperate that I stay indoors, but these were extenuating circumstances as far as I was concerned. I knelt and pulled on my shoes.

“Fuck, fine. I’ll come with you.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I can’t bone you if you’re dead,” Rivaille said as he walked down the entry hall. He grabbed his knee-high boots and zipped them on.

“Yeah because I bet you’d do a _great_ job protecting me,” I said sarcastically as I yanked open the door.

“I’m tougher than I look.” Rivaille pouted as he followed me out of the apartment.

“Sure you are,” I snorted.

Levi was a force to be reckoned with in a fight, but Rivialle looked like he could be knocked over by a benign gust of wind. He  was doing his best to defend his honor as we hurried through the neighborhood. I tuned out his regaling of the many fights he’d won. Reiner and Bert were only a few blocks away. We’d be there in a few minutes. 

Rivaille eventually realized I wasn’t paying attention to him and shut up. He had to power walk to keep up with my quick strides. I turned down an alleyway. I slowed my gait and walked to the corner. Rivialle moved cautiously to my side. We rounded the corner. At the end of the alley, I spotted Bert leaning back against a dumpster. His hand clutched his side. Reiner was kneeling in front of him, murmuring quietly to him.

“Reiner.” I hurried up to the pair. “Bert, are you okay?”

Reiner and Bert glanced over at me. Bert dropped his hand from his side. 

“I’m fine,” he said. He stood up and Reiner rose to his feet as well.

“Oh, Levi’s here too. Perfect,” he said in a low voice as his eyes fell on Rivaille. 

“What’s going on?” I asked as I took a cautious step back.

Bert was clearly uninjured, and he and Reiner were looking at me in a way that made my skin crawl. 

“The fuck is this,” Rivaille muttered. He slid his hand beneath his shirt and yanked out a gun.

“Rivaille!” I cried as he leveled the weapon at Reiner and Bert.

Suddenly, a blur of movement collided with the back of Rivaille’s head. Rivaille grunted and dropped to his knees. Another vicious kick clocked him on the side of his head and he fell in an unconscious heap on the alley floor.

I turned slowly and my eyes fell on Mikasa’s girlfriend, Annie Leonhardt. Her icy blue eyes slid to me. I took a step away from her.

“What are you doing?” I whispered.

Annie bent and picked up Rivaille’s gun.

“Sorry, Eren,” Reiner said, “but we need you to come with us.”

Before I could speak, Annie snaked forward. She clipped the butt of the gun against my temple. I gasped. I felt my body drop to the ground as darkness consumed my vision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope everyone enjoyed the chapter~ also i'm changing the way the gang is organized. the wings is a subgroup of the triad. darius zackly is the commander in chief of the triad. the wings is controlled by erwin. pixis has control of the roses. then there's a third. the military police are the police in this verse. i'll go back and edit that in now, but i just wanted to give everyone a heads up


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so long i was having serious writer's block ew

**Chapter Ten**

 

**Levi’s POV**

 

**Four Years Ago**

_“Mikasa?” I said in confusion as I stared at my sister._

_She stood in the doorway, huddled in on herself. She was dressed in her school uniform, which was adorable on my fourteen-year-old sister, but I had been forced to wear something quite similar on many occasions, which meant I became a touch queasy whenever I saw it._

_“I want to learn how to fight,” she said as she raised her chin out of her scarf._

_“Fight?” I said in confusion, my eyes rooted on her red-rimmed ones. “You don’t need to learn how to fight; you’re a civilian.”_

_Mikasa wasn’t involved in gang life and it should stay that way. She should go to school, have sleepovers with her friends, date a cute person. She shouldn’t learn how to fight—unless of course she was genuinely interested in it as a recreational pass time, but something about the gleam in her eyes told me this wasn’t the case. Also the fact that she’d clearly been crying told me there was more to it than that._

_“Mika!” Rivaille’s cheerful voice made me look around. He draped himself over my back and rested his chin on my shoulder. He was the only one who could get away with touching me so liberally. “Is something wrong, sweetie?” He straightened as he took in the sight of her tear-stained face._

_“I, um,” Mikasa mumbled. She pulled her arms from behind her back and held them out._

_I stared at the red marks, reminiscent of finger prints, which were blossoming across her pale skin. My eyes went wide. I felt Rivaille stiffen behind me._

_“What happened?” I demanded._

_“Before that,” Rivaille said hurriedly, “why don’t you come in and I’ll make you some tea, okay?”_

_Mikasa nodded. Rivalle and I stepped aside to let her pass. She carefully toed off her shoes. I guided her into the living room and set her down in the armchair. Rivaille went to the kitchen. I sat down on the couch and watched my sister as she wiggled back against the crimson upholstery._

_“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked in a calmer voice. I was grateful that Rivaille had swooped in; he had helped quell some of the panicked confusion that had bubbled up in my throat, enough so that I could speak now without overwhelming Mikasa._

_We sat in silence for a few minutes as Mikasa worked up the nerve to recount what had happened to her. I waited patiently. The time helped me get a grip on the roiling rage in my chest. The idea that someone had done something—anything—to my little sister was enough to make my hands tremble with anger._

_“I was walking home from school down a back alley and these guys grabbed me and tried to make me go with them.” Mikasa spoke in a hesitant, trembling voice. “This boy appeared and he beat them up even though there were six of them. Then he walked me back to the main street.”_

_“So, now you want to learn how to fight,” I said slowly._

_Mikasa nodded._

_“Mikasa, you don’t need to learn how to fight; if you stick to the main roads where there are crowds, you’ll be fine.”_

_“Or she can learn how to defend herself because people in this town do fucked up shit to other people, crowds or no crowds," Rivalle said as he emerged from the kitchen. He walked over to Mikasa and handed her a mug of steaming tea. “Careful, sweetie, it’s hot.”_

_Mikasa nodded as she took the cup and cradled it in her hands._   _Rivaille moved to the couch and sat down beside me on its arm. He lay across the back of the cushions and took to toying idly with my undercut._

_“You’re just worried that if she learns how to fight that will be putting her more into ‘our world’,” Rivaille continued. “What you fail to realize is that she’s already in it and there’s no way out of it.”_

_“She’s not in it,” I snapped. I glared at him over my shoulder. “She’s a civilian and she can stay that way.” I looked back at my sister. “Mikasa, Rivialle’s right; I am worried that if you learn how to fight then you might start getting into fights and that’s a slippery slope. You should stay as far out of gang life as you can. It’s what Mother would have wanted.”_

_“Kuchel was a prostitute and made you one too,” Mikasa shot at me. “She’s not a part of our lives anymore so she doesn’t get to have a say.”_

_I stared at her with wide eyes. My fingers twisted in the fabric of my sweatpants. Rivaille’s hand rested on my shoulder. I could feel his gaze on me as I processed what Mikasa had said._

_“H-how do you know about that?” I stammered._

_“I—“ Mikasa flushed as she realized what she had admitted to knowing—“I overheard Mom and Dad talking about it. They said you were, um, a…” She trailed off and bit her lip._

_“I don’t do that anymore,” I said quietly as Rivaille stroked my hair. “And that’s beside the point. You don’t need to learn how to fight.”_

_“But I want to,” Mikasa said. “I want to learn how to take care of myself.”_

_“She has a right to that,” Rivaille said._

_“Okay,” I said with a nod. “We’ll teach you how to fight, but you gotta promise me you’ll stay out of gang business.”_

_She made that promise, but in our world it was an impossible one to keep._

* * *

“Levi.”

I looked up at the sound of Erwin’s voice. I had been staring down at my phone, which was open to my call logs. 

“No luck reaching Mikasa?” Erwin asked as he sat on the couch beside me.

I shook my head.

“Don’t worry.” He patted my shoulder. “She can take care of herself.”

I nodded. 

At that moment the door of Erwin’s office opened. His secretary, Petra, walked in. Short, red hair framed her paler-than-usual face. Her hands were trembling slightly and there were tears in her hazel eyes. 

“Sir,” she said in a low voice, “we just received a report that Gunter and Erd are dead.”

My grip tightened on my phone. Erwin rose slowly from the couch. He walked over to Petra and rested a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“Do we know who's doing this?”

“Yes,” Petra said. “It’s the Warriors.”

“Zeke,” Erwin hissed. He turned around and marched to his desk. He grabbed his phone. His fingers darted over the screen.

My phone rang. I glanced down at it. Mikasa was calling. I answered hurriedly.

“Mikasa.”

“What the fuck is happening, Levi?” Mikasa demanded. She sounded a touch out of breath and incredibly pissed off.

“It’s the Warriors,” I said. “They’re taking out Wings.” I looked over at Erwin.

He was on the phone, talking in a low voice. His back was to me and he was gazing out of the large, bay windows to the city below.

“What the fu—“ Suddenly she paused. “Levi, Eren’s roommates are Warriors.”

“What?”

“Reiner and Bert are Warriors,” Mikasa said.

“Shit. I told Eren to stay in their apartment.”

“Call him. I’ll go to their apartment now and I’ll call Annie to see if I can find out where they are and if she knows anything.”

“Okay, okay,” I said slowly.

“I’m sure he’s fine, Levi,” Mikasa said. “He could take on Reiner and Bert if push came to shove.”

I nodded slowly.

“I’m hanging up now. I’ll keep you posted.” Mikasa hung up.

Erwin turned away from the window and walked over to me.

“I just spoke with Pixis. Roses are being targeted too.”

“Is Zeke gunning for succession?” I asked in a distracted voice as I pulled up Eren’s contact information.

“If he is, this is a terrible way to go about it,” Erwin said as he grabbed his suit jacket off the coat rack. He picked up mine as well and brought it over to me. “Zackly would never hand his gang over to someone who took out his men.”

“What’s his angle then?” I asked as I stood up and took my jacket from him. 

“I don’t know, but I’m going to call a meeting with Zackly, Pixis, and Zeke; see if we can’t get to the bottom of this.”

“I have to make a call,” I said. I draped my jacket over my arm and dialed Eren’s number as I followed Erwin out of the office.

He didn’t answer. I tried again with the same results. My heart was hammering in my chest and my hands were beginning to shake. I typed out a quick text to Mikasa:

_Eren isn’t answering_

_Neither is Annie_ , she replied. _I’m going to the apartment now._

“Levi, is something wrong?” Erwin asked as we strode down the corridor to the elevator. 

“Eren’s not picking up,” I said, “and the guys he’s staying with are Warriors.”

“I want you to come to the meeting with me,” Erwin said. “Is that going to be a problem?”

“No.” I slipped my phone into my pocket and pulled on my jacket. “I’m sure Eren is fine.”

* * *

**Eren’s POV**

 

“Mikasa's calling.” Annie’s voice floated to me through the dark haze in my mind.

“Don’t answer,” Reiner said.

“She’ll get worried if I don’t.”

“And what are you going to tell her?” Reiner said. “You have her brother’s fuck buddy and his weird look-alike duct-taped to chairs in a dank basement?”

I blinked my eyes opened and found that I was very much in the predicament that Reiner had described. My fingers were even beginning to tingle slightly from how tight the tape was. I glanced around. I was in a dingy room with small windows up by the ceiling. They admitted the warm glow of street lights. A lone bulb that dangled from the ceiling illuminated the basement as well.

Annie’s lips were twisted into a pursed scowl as she stared down at her phone, which was still buzzing. She was leaning back against a small table that stood by the wall. Reiner and Bert stood in the middle of the room. When his eyes fell on me, Bert tapped Reiner on the shoulder and nodded in my direction.

“What’s going on?” I grumbled. My head was poundingand sporadic lances of pain shot through my temple where Annie had struck me.

“You’re awake,” Reiner said.

“Obviously.” 

“So am I.”

I looked around at the sound of a very peeved Rivaille’s voice. Levi’s cousin was scowling darkly at the trio.

“What the fuck is going on? Aren’t you Eren’s friends?” Rivaille said in a sullen voice.

“You keep your mouth shut,” Reiner snapped, “or I’ll tape it shut.”

“Reiner, what’s going on?” I tried again. 

Reiner was acting completely out of character. He was angry; I’d never seen him angry. On top of that he'd freaking _kidnapped_ me. This really was the cherry topping off an already fucked up day.

“You know, you’re kinda stupid, Eren,” Reiner said with a sneer. He paced toward me and stopped when he was a foot away from the chair was I bound to. “You function under the assumption that the Wings and the Triad are the same thing.”

“What?” Rivaille barked out a laugh. “Is he serious, Eren? How dumb are you?” 

“Fuck off,” I muttered. “What are you getting at?” I glared up at Reiner.

“We’re Warriors.” Reiner waved his hand to include himself, Bert, and Annie, who narrowed her eyes. “Well, Annie is mostly by association.”

“But the Warriors and the Wings are both part of the Triad,” I said in confusion. “We’re all on the same side.”

“That’s adorable,” Reiner said with a slow shake of his head.

“So, basically what you’re saying is the Warriors are picking off Wings,” Rivaille said. “How come? Zeke get tired of taking orders from Zackly or something?”

“Didn’t I tell you to keep your mouth shut?” Reiner snapped.

“Well, yeah. Lot of good that did.” Rivaille laughed.

“Who the fuck are you anyway?” 

“I’m Rivaille.” Rivaille smiled brightly. “For the record, I’m not a Wing or a Rose or a Warrior, so if you want to let me go that would be great.”

“Are you Levi’s cousin?” Annie asked.

“That’s me.”

“How did you know he had a cousin?” I frowned at Annie.

“Mikasa told me.” Annie shrugged.

“Can we get back to the matter at hand?” Reiner said with a heavy sigh.

“Yes, let’s get back to the matter of mayhaps letting me go about my business.” Rivaille tugged pointedly at the tape that was wrapped tightly around his wrists.

Reiner opened his mouth to shoot a biting retort at him, but suddenly Bert spoke.

“Reiner, I just got a message from Zeke.” He handed his phone to Reiner, who read the message quickly.

“Alright, we’re headed out.” He turned toward Rivialle and I. “I’m going to cut you two free. If you trying anything, Annie will knock you out again.”

“Will I now?” Annie muttered under her breath.

Reiner ignored her. He moved to my side and pulled out a switchblade. I stared at the glistening metal as he sliced through the duct tape. I sighed in relief as the sticky material relinquished its painful hold. Reiner then grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the chair. He pulled out a pair of cuffs and bound my wrists behind my back. 

Bert had done the same to Rivaille. Levi’s cousin grumbled about the ‘undignified treatment’ he was receiving, but Bert ignored him. Reiner dragged me by my elbow to the basement door. 

My heart was hammering in my chest. These were my friends and they were treating me like I was their enemy. On top of that they were Warriors, Warriors who were killing off Wings. These two could even be responsible for the deaths of who knew how many of Erwin’s men. My blood began to burn in my vein.

Reiner pulled me up the steep, concrete steps with him. Suddenly, I yanked against his grip. He yelled in surprise as I broke his hold. I slammed my shoulder against his side. He hit the wall and grunted from the impact. I leapt to the step above his and brought my knee to his chest. He yelped as he fell backward.

“Reiner!” Bert released his hold on Rivaille and caught his falling friend.

I crouched down and fumbled my feet over the cuffs to bring my hands in front of me. Rivaille stumbled away from the pair and hurried up the steps toward me.

“Eren, let’s go!”

I launched myself down the steps. Gripping my hands together, I slammed them against Reiner’s face. The impact caused Bert to lose his balance and the pair tumbled backward down the steps. I started after them.

“Wrong way, dumbass!” Rivaille, who had gotten his cuffed hands in front of him, grabbed my arm and began to drag me up the steps. 

“Let me go!” I yelled as the anger pumped through my body.

“No fucking way. We’re leaving.” Rivialle kept a vice-like grip on my arm as he dragged me up the steps.

I snarled curses at him, but he managed to get me up the stairs. We stumbled out into a foyer. Rivaille kept a tight hold on me as he ran down the hall. I stumbled after him. Without Reiner and Bert’s treacherous faces in my vision, my anger was slowly beginning to quell. It helped that Rivaille’s warm grip on my arm reminded me so much of Levi’s. When we reached the door, I pulled back against Rivaille.

“Eren, we have to—“

“I’m good now,” I said as I took a steadying breath.

Rivaille nodded. He pushed open the door and we hurried out onto the stoop. I looked around. We had emerged onto a busy street from a narrow apartment building. Rivaille grabbed my hand and tugged me after him as he started down the steps.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” he muttered as he ran to the curb. He had managed to weasel his right hand out of its cuffs, though it looked badly bruised and scraped from the process. He waved at an approaching cab.

“Eren!” I looked back at the apartment. 

Reiner stumbled through the doorway.

“Eren, wait!” 

Rivaille grabbed my arm and pushed me into the cab. He climbed in after me and yelled an address at the cabbie. The man nodded and hurriedly pulled into traffic. 

I flopped back against the seat and took a steadying breath. Rivaille took out a bobby pin from his back pocket and picked the lock on his remaining cuff. He did the same for mine.

“Thanks,” I said as I rubbed my wrists.

“Your friends are douche bags” Rivaille said with a shake of his head. “What the fuck was that about?”

“I have no idea,” I said. “I should call Levi.” I reached for my pocket, but found it empty. “My phone!” I fished through my other pockets, but to no avail. “Fuck, they probably took it.”

“They took mine too,” Rivaille said with a sigh. He was inspecting the hand that he had forced out of the cuffs. He grimaced. 

“Is your hand okay?”

“It’s fine. Just a little bruised.”

“How’d you do that?”

“I have tiny hands.” Rivaille shrugged. “Any idea what that was all about?”

“No fucking clue."

“I can’t believe you actually thought everyone in the Triad was one of the Wings.” Rivaille laughed at the thought.

I flipped him off. I had never paid much attention to the inner workings of the gang. I hadn’t been lying to Levi when I told him I wanted to be useful to him and not the gang as a whole. I didn’t give a rat’s ass about the gang. Levi was the only part of it that I cared about.

The cab pulled up to the curb. Rivalle took out a few bills from a hidden pocket in his boot and handed them to the cabbie. I climbed out of the cab after him. I recognized the apartment building that Rivialle was walking toward. It was the same as the one he had taken me to the other night.

I followed him into the elevator. We rode in silence until we reached the seventh floor. As we walked down the short hallway to Rivaille’s door, Rivaille spoke.

“I thought you and Levi weren’t together anymore.” He sounded rather dismissive, but there was an edge to his tone that made me answer carefully.

“We aren’t,” I said as I watched him unlock the door, “but he’s still my handler technically."

Rivaille nodded. He marched down the entrance hallway and threw himself onto the living room couch. I followed after him. 

“There are some burner phones in the desk over there,” he said, waving to the mahogany desk that stood by the far wall in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. “You can call him or whatever.”

I nodded. This sulky Rivaille was making me nervous. He seemed upset, but not in a way that I could quite put my finger on. I went to the desk and pulled open the top drawer. At that moment, one of the doors that led off of the living room opened. A man stepped through. He had sandy blond hair and sharp blue eyes.

“Rivaille, where have you been?” he asked.

“Hey, Far,” Rivaille said. “Eren got himself kidnapped and I got dragged along for the ride.”

“I thought you were done with him.”  This ‘Far’ person stared at me with hooded eyes. His face was a mask, but I could detect the harsh set to his jaw. He was dressed in a crisp black suit, though his shirt was unbuttoned and he didn't have on a tie.

I looked away from him and pulled out one of the burner phones.

“I want to sleep with him, so I’m keeping him around,” Rivaille said with a smile. He wormed his way to the arm of the couch and propped his chin up on it. 

I rolled my eyes. I quickly dialed Levi’s number from memory and brought the phone to my ear. It rang a few times before he finally picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s me.”

“Eren, where the fuck are you?” Levi demanded.

“Um.” Fuck. I looked up at Rivaille, who raised his eyebrows with a knowing smirk. ”It’s complicated.”

“Where. The. Fuck. Are you?” Levi hissed. He was angry, but I could also detect a slight waver to his voice that spoke to something deeper than that.

“Rivaille’s,” I whispered.

“What—?”

“I told you it was complicated.” I quickly turned away from Levi’s cousin and moved over to the window.

“And I told you to stay away from him,” Levi snapped.

“I know, I know. Before we get into that, you should know it’s the Warriors that are targeting Wings.”

“And the Roses; they're being targeted too,” Levi said. “Erwin called a meeting for the bosses, but it looks like Zeke is going to be a no show. Wait, how do you know about that? Did something happen?”

“Um, yeah, my roommates, they jumped me,” I said slowly. “Us, I mean. They took Rivaille too.”

“Please don’t tell him I got my ass kicked by a girl,” Rivaille muttered.

“Are you okay?” Levi said.

“Yeah, I’m fine. We got away, so we’re at Rivaille’s now.”

“You should have gone to our apartment,” Levi said in a tight voice. 

“It’s not—“ I glanced over my shoulder at Rivaille—“It’s not _that_ anymore,” I said in a low voice. “Remember?”

“Right,” Levi said with a small sigh. “Give me his address; I’m coming to get you.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll go to Mikasa’s.”

“I’ll come get you,” Levi repeated.

“It’s fine. I can handle this myself.”

“Damnit, Eren, just tell me where the fuck you are.”

“Levi, fuck off; it’s fine. Let me handle this.” My grip on the phone tightened. I hated that Levi treated me like such a child. I could sort this situation out myself. I didn’t need him to come fetch me.

“Eren, this isn’t a game,” Levi said in a cold voice. “Rivaille is dangerous, more so even then the Warriors.”

“He’s not,” I hissed. 

“Eren, you don’t know him like I do. He will try to hurt you.”

“No, he won’t,” I snapped. “We were getting along fine when he was over at the apartment earlier.” Shit. I definitely shouldn’t have mentioned that. I bit my lip.

“He was over where?” Levi said quietly. “Was he there when I called you?”

“Um…”

“Don’t lie to me, Eren.”

“He was.”

“What were you two doing?” There was an implication buried in his tone.

“We weren’t doing anything. He just came over and we talked for a bit.”

“I told you to stay away from him.”

“You can’t tell me what to do. We don’t live together anymore and you aren’t the boss of me.”

“Eren, stop acting like a petulant child.”

“Then stop treating me like one!”

“I’ve never—“

“Yes, you've always. You tell me what to do and act like I can’t take care of myself, but I can.”

“Eren, Rivaille is seriously dangerous.”

“Fuck off,” I snapped. “You’re not my boyfriend and you don’t own me, so fuck off.”

“Eren—“

I hung up the phone. My hands were trembling and my heart felt like it was pummeling itself on my sternum.

“That didn’t sound like it went too well,” Rivialle said slowly.

I spun around and stalked over to the couch. Rivaille sat up on his knees as I approached. Far frowned, but he made no move to stop me as I flung myself on top of Rivaille and pinned him to the couch beneath me.

“What the fuck?” he whined. 

“Let’s do it,” I said as I pushed back from his chest and stared down at him.

“Do what?” 

“Fuck. Let’s fuck.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry i haven't been updating as frequently! i hope everyone enjoys~
> 
> cw: csa mention

**Rivaille’s POV**

 

_“Do you want to do it?” I asked as I hopped onto my knees on the bed beside Levi._

_He glanced up at me. His bruised face twisted in confusion. He sat up slightly and winced. His bare chest was swathed in bandages. His partner tonight had left him in an unfortunate state. Levi usually tried to set ground rules with his partners, but he was just a kid and once he got into bed with them, there wasn't much he could do to hold his own against them._

_“Do what?” he asked in a husky voice._

_“Sex.” I laughed as I crawled on top of him. “Do you want to feel what your customers feel when they’re in you?” I smiled down at him._

_His face flushed brightly and he glanced away._

_“B-but we’re cousins,” he stuttered. “Shouldn’t we not…”_

_“We’re not that closely related,” I said with a shrug. “Besides, I want to make you feel better.” I leaned forward so my face was only a few inches away from his. “You can do whatever you want with me; you can be in complete control. I’ll do anything you tell me to do.”_

_“You’ll do anything,” he asked hesitantly._

_“Mm-hm.”_

_“Will you…will you kiss me?”_

_“Of course.” I leaned forward and brushed my lips gently against his._

_I’d never kissed anyone before. It was a strange sensation. Levi’s lips were soft and warm. They worked gently against mine. I pressed my lips against his and slipped my tongue against his lips. He opened his mouth and moved his tongue against mine. I dropped my body flush against his. Levi whimpered quietly. I sat back._

_“Are you okay?” I asked quickly as I glanced down at his wounded chest._

_“Sorry, it hurt a little.” He rested a pale hand against one of his bandages, which was stained with blood._

_“No, that was my bad. Do, do you want to keep going?”_

_“Um, could we take a break? My head hurts.”_

_“Of course.” I flopped down on the bed beside him. “You should try to sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning.”_

_“Okay.” Levi nodded. He shifted further down on the pillows._

_I pulled the covers up over us. I tucked us in and moved a little closer to him._

_“S-sorry, could we have a little more space?” he asked hesitantly._

_“I can get out,” I offered._

_“No, it’s okay. I just don’t like touching people when I sleep.”_

_“Makes sense.” I shrugged and shifted away from him on the mattress. “Night, Levi.”_

_“Good night, Rivaille.”_

* * *

I stared up at Eren in shock. He was gazing at me with his large, turquoise eyes. There was a determined set to his jaw and his fingers dug into my arms. His body was hot and heavy on mine. I could sense Farlan shift slightly behind the couch, but he knew I could handle myself in this sort of situation, though I wasn’t entirely certain _what_ this situation was.

“Do what?” I said in confusion. 

“Fuck. Let’s fuck.”

My eyes grew wide and my mouth fell open slightly. Eren took ample advantage of this as he pressed his lips to mine and shoved his tongue into my mouth. He was a good kisser if a little messy and overeager. My body was reacting in the expected manner, but my head was still spinning in confusion. 

Eren had just gotten off the phone with Levi, and, from the sound of things, he and Levi had had some sort of fight. I had only been privy to half of the conversation, but it had sounded an awful lot like a couple’s quarrel, not that I had a huge amount of experience in how couples quarrel.

I pushed against Eren and mewed in an undignified fashion as I tried to urge him off of me. He pulled back. His cheeks were flushed as he stared down at me.

“What are you doing?” I snapped.

“Isn’t that obvious?” he shot back.

“I’m not a fucking replacement for Levi.” I shoved him away from me and squirmed backward until I bumped into the arm of the couch.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Eren said as he sat back on his heels. “You practically introduced yourself to me as a replacement for Levi.”

I flushed at the accusation. He wasn’t wrong. I had always made it a point to present myself as a knockoff Levi, but for some reason I wasn’t particularly excited about Eren seeing me that way. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Eren was initiating this encounter rather than me.

“That conversation,” I said in a low voice. I glanced up at Eren with hooded eyes. “That sounded like a boyfriend fight.”

“What?” Eren cocked his head to the side. 

“You and Levi, you guys are still together.” My voice passed my lips in a harsh whisper. I could feel anger bubbling up in the pit of my stomach. “You two thought you could play me for a fool, didn’t you? You thought I wouldn’t notice that you’re obviously still together?”

“We were never together,” Eren shot at me, but his brows did crinkle into a hesitant frown. He shifted back on his knees. “He’s my handler. That’s it.”

“That’s not it,” I hissed.

“We were just fucking,” Eren said loudly.

I snarled. I lunged toward the back of the couch and grabbed Farlan's arm. His only reaction was to raise his eyebrows. I yanked him toward me and reached around him. I grabbed his gun and pulled it free of his waistband. 

“Riv—“ Eren began in a shocked voice, but the cold barrel of the gun pressing against his forehead cut him off. 

“You don’t get to fuck me because you and Levi have a shit relationship,” I said quietly as I sat forward on my knees. I slid the gun slowly down his face and pushed it against his chin, tipping his head back to expose his bruised neck.

“Oh, but you get to try to fuck me because you want to hurt Levi?” Eren said. His words were biting, but he spoke in a hesitant tone. His eyes flickered between me and the gun. He looked scared; good, he should be scared. 

“Yes, yes I do.” I smirked at him.

“Why are you doing this, Rivaille?” Eren said. “Is it all because of your daddy issues?”

“Hey, don’t belittle my daddy issues.” I pouted. “They’ve caused me considerable anguish in the past.”

“Sorry," Eren said with a flush as he glanced down at the floor.

My eyes narrowed. I didn’t get this kid. Here I was being my incredibly dysfunctional and fucked up self and here he was apologizing to me for a minor slip up. It pissed me off to no end. 

“It must be hard to care so much about Levi,” I said in a mockingly sweet voice, “and have him treat you like you’re nothing. You’re just a dog to him. A wayward little pup that he has to bring to heel.”

“Fuck you,” Eren snapped. “He doesn’t treat me like a dog. I know I’m important to him; sometimes he’s just an asshole.”

“You do realize you’re digging your own grave by saying that, right?” I said with a smirk as I waved the gun at him.

“Whatever,” Eren huffed. He actually reached out and batted the gun away from his face. “I’m sick and tired of you being a twisted prick and trying to turn me against Levi. This whole situation is so fucking frustrating and if it weren’t for you, Levi and I would be able to sort things out, but you keep fucking things up.”

“Well, that is my specialty.”

“Why don’t you and Levi just talk about this?” Eren said with a heavy sigh. “Your problem is with your dad, not with him.”

“My problem is very much with him,” I said in a tight voice. “And you should really crush those delusions you have about Levi thinking you’re important.”

“They’re not delusions!” Eren yelled at me. “He told me I’m special. He said he wouldn’t fuck me unless he thought so. Guess he’s turned over a new leaf since being with you.”

My eyes widened. My throat clenched and I stared at Eren. Tears pricked my eyes. My bottom lip began to tremble. Eren, who had been glaring at me, suddenly bit his lip and his brow furrowed.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that,” he said quickly as he held out his hands as if he could contain the hurt feelings that were engulfing me. “That was a totally shitty thing to say; I’m so sorry.”

“So,” I said as I straightened my shoulders and wiped the despair off my face, “what you’re saying is you’re his most special person?” 

“No,” Eren mumbled, “that’s not what I’m saying. I know I’m important to him, but his most special person is Erwin, not me. If you really want to hurt Levi, go after Erwin.”

“That option's not really on the table,” I muttered under my breath. “Why are you telling me all this?” I cocked my head to the side. “You’re gonna get yourself hurt if you keep this up.”

“Rivaille, you’re all bark and no bite,” Eren said with a small laugh.

“Oh? You want me to _bite_ cha.”

“No,” Eren laughed.

"If Levi is so important to you and you're so special to him, then you shouldn't go throwing yourself on other guys," I said quietly.

"Are you giving me relationship advice?"

I glowered at him.

"You're right," he said with a small sigh. "I shouldn't have done that, and not just because Levi and I sort of have a thing. I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't get me wrong; I don't mind, but I'd rather you fuck me for me and not because you're hung up on my dickhead cousin." I chuckled quietly.

Eren nodded slowly. He was gazing down at the couch. He looked completely crestfallen. He was probably greatly regretting what he had done.

“Are you in love with him?” I asked quietly.

“No, I don’t think so,” Eren said as he shook his head. “I’m dependent on him and he’s the most important person in my life, but what I feel for him is different than love.”

“Hm.” I dropped back on the couch and stared at the ceiling. I tapped the gun idly against my lips.

Farlan reached down and took the weapon from me. He tucked it back into his pants. Eren watched him as he turned and walked back into his bedroom. 

“Rivaille,” he said slowly, “why do you really hate Levi? It can’t just be because your dad liked him more than you.”

“Wow, you don’t pull any punches,” I said with a small chuckle. I tangled my fingers in my hair.

Eren muttered a small apology under his breath.

I didn’t hate Levi, and worst than that he didn’t hate me. I wanted him to hate me; needed him to hate me, but Levi had never and would never give me the emotional time of day. 

“This conversation is over,” I said as I sat up. “You can see yourself out.”

“Wait, you’re kicking me out?”

“Yes.” I stared at the couch cushion in between us as I spoke.

“I’m sorry if I said too much,” Eren said quietly.

“It’s fine.” I shrugged. “I’m not in the mood to play with you anymore, so just go.” I got up and walked over to the kitchen counter.

“Is that all you’ve been doing? Playing with me?” Eren asked.

“Of course.” I didn't look at him as I spoke, instead opting to examine the cold granite under my fingers.

“I’ll see you later then.” He sounded peeved. He got up from the couch and marched over to the front door. He yanked it open and slammed it shut behind him.

I sighed quietly and rested my forehead on the cold counter. Eren asked too many questions that hit too close to home. It was perfectly enjoyable hanging out with him when we didn’t tread on those topics. Even getting kidnapped with him had been amusing.

“Rivaille.”

I glanced over my shoulder and watched Farlan approach me.

“Erwin called,” he said. “He debriefed me on the situation.”

“Oh?” I straightened and hopped onto the counter. “What did he have to say?”

“Zeke refused to meet with him, Pixis, and Zackly, so Zackly’s declared war on the Warriors. He wants Zeke’s head on a spike from the sound of things.”

“Well, the Roses and Wings together should be able to annihilate the Warriors,” I said with a pleased smile.

“Or the in-fighting could destroy all of them,” Farlan pointed out.

“Perfect,” I purred.

The Triad was going to crumble. Zackly’s precious organization was going to fall to ruins and I didn’t even have to raise a finger to see it happen. That only left Levi, and yet for what ever reason I couldn’t bring myself to use Eren to get to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woohoo another plot point finagled into the storyline! hope you all liked the chapter! for those who wanted eren and rivaille to bone sorry that didn't happen lol


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *aggressively ignores chapter 84*

**Eren’s POV**

 

The sky was an obsidian violet with a soft, honey glow when I emerged from Rivaille’s apartment. It was close to two in the morning at this point. I went to the curb to hail a cab. I didn’t trust the streets and not just because of the hour. If the Warriors really were going to war against the rest of the Triad, then I wasn’t safe anywhere other than an Ackerman apartment.

It took three long, agonizing minutes to get a cab. I was antsy by the time one pulled up to the curb. Rivaille’s apartment was in a swankier part of town than where the gang was based out of, but I still felt paranoid after everything that had happened today.

“Where to?” the cabbie asked as I climbed in.

I gave him Mikasa’s address. I had something close to a photographic memory, so I could recall the address that Levi had texted me. The cabbie estimated the trip to be about twenty minutes. I nodded and settled back against the seat. Now that I was in the safe confines of the cab, my heart rate was beginning to regulate itself. I quickly texted Levi on Rivaille's burner phone. We were once again in need of amends. 

**Me**

_Hey sorry about the conversation earlier but I just wish you’d trust me more and not tell me what to do all the time. I can’t be independent if you’re telling me what to do and if you don’t trust me. I’m going to Mikasa’s apartment now._

Along with her address, I also had Mikasa’s number committed to memory. I texted her to see if it would in fact be alright for me to stay over with her. She replied immediately:

_Glad you’re safe. Levi and I were worried when we couldn’t get a hold of you. I’m home now so come on by_

I sent her a quick ‘thank you’. I released a small sigh and dropped my head back against the seat. This day-slash-night had been a complete shit show. Not only had Zeke and the Warriors gone ape shit and I had been kidnapped by my ex-roommates, but Levi and I had had yet another fight. This wasn’t all that surprising. We’d fought a lot over the years since we were both incredibly stubborn. On top of that, I hated that he wouldn’t _let_ me be independent. I probably wouldn’t have become so dependent on him if he hadn’t coddled me so much up until now. Not that I disliked the coddling; I loved it, but he couldn’t exactly expect me to suddenly be an independent adult if he kept trying to have me on a leash.

I had been taken aback when Rivaille had asked me if I loved Levi. I’d thought about it before, and, sure, I did love him to some extent, but I wasn’t _in_ love with him. Our lifestyle didn’t cater well to being in love with people. All this being said, he was the most important person in my life. I couldn’t quantify what I felt about him, but it felt stronger than love, more like he was another part of me and I couldn’t be separated from him.

My phone buzzed and I glanced down at it. Levi had replied.

**Levi**

_I’m sorry that it came off like I don’t trust you. I do. I don’t trust Rivaille and I wanted to make sure you were safe because I left you in an unsafe situation. I’m glad you’re going to Mikasa’s apartment._

I smiled down at the text. He wanted me to be safe. He also blamed himself for what had happened with Reiner and Bert; that was probably why he had been so pissed off. I’d also been with Rivaille and Levi trusted his cousin about as far as he could throw him.

**Me**

_Thanks I’m glad you trust me sometimes it doesn’t come across that way and it feels like you’re bossing me around. I don’t want to make you feel bad but I just wanted you to know that’s how I feel_

**Levi**

_Thank you for telling me. We can talk about this more when I see you next. I have to go back into the meeting with Erwin and the others. Stay safe_

**Me**

_You too. See you soon hopefully_

The cab arrived at Mikasa’s apartment shortly after that. I called Mikasa and asked if she could come down and pay the cabbie. Good ol’ Harold wasn’t annoyed with me for not having money on me, thankfully, and he was happy to wait for Mikasa.

Mikasa hurried down the apartment steps and waved to us. I waved back. When she paid the cabbie, he pulled away. I let out a heavy sigh and dropped my head on her shoulder.

“Fuck, it’s been a long day.”

“You okay?” Mikasa asked as she patted my back in a rather awkward, stilted hug.

“I’m good,” I said. I pulled back.

She nodded and led the way up into her apartment. She shared it with two girls from school, Sasha and Ymir. Like Mikasa, they didn’t live with their parents anymore. Sasha had run away from hers and I didn’t know what Ymir’s deal was. Mikasa explained that they were both asleep. Neither of them were part of the Triad, so the most they had to worry about tonight was getting their homework done. Mikasa offered me a seat on the couch and grabbed the two mugs of tea she’d made for us. She handed me one and sat down on the couch beside me.

“What happened?” she asked.

I shook my head. I didn’t know if I should tell Mikasa about Annie’s involvement in my kidnapping. Keeping that sort of information about her girlfriend from her was probably a dick move, but telling her that her girlfriend had kidnapped me could send her around the bend.

“I got jumped, but I got away,” I said. “What about you? You and Annie both good?” 

“I was totally fine,” Mikasa said with a small laugh. “I was at the movies with Ymir and her girlfriend when it was all going down, and had about eight missed calls from Levi when I got out." She laughed dryly. "Annie called me a little bit ago. I couldn’t get a hold of her for a while and when she called, she sounded really upset. She asked if you were okay.”

“What did you say?” I asked. 

Annie must have called after I had escaped from her, Reiner, and Bert.

“I told her I couldn’t get in touch with you. She said she’d ‘explain everything’ the next time we saw each other. Not really sure whatever ‘everything’ is.” She frowned and burrowed her chin into her scarf. Her long fingers coiled around the steaming mug of tea.

“Mikasa,” I said slowly. I took a sip of my own beverage to steady my nerves. “The guys who jumped me were Reiner and Bert.”

“What?” Mikasa stared at me with wide eyes.

“I wasn’t sure if I should tell you,” I said, “but Annie was with them too. When you called, it was after she, Reiner, and Bert had captured me. Reiner told her not to answer. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to upset you since this day has been so hectic already, but I wanted to give you a heads up to what that ‘everything’ is.”

“Fuck,” Mikasa muttered. “I knew that Reiner and Bert were Warriors, but I didn’t know Annie was involved with them.”

“I don’t think she is really,” I said. “Reiner said that Annie’s a Warrior by association. Maybe she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Maybe.” Mikasa’s knuckles were white from gripping the mug. “I’ll deal with her. You have a pretty bad bruise on your forehead. Is that from getting captured?”

“Yeah.” I didn’t mention that it was from Annie bashing me in head with a gun. “They took us to a basement and were going to take us somewhere else but we got away.”

“Us?” Mikasa said.

“Ah, yeah, so another thing,” I said slowly. I set my mug down on the coffee table and turned so I was facing her. “Rivaille was with me when Reiner and Bert jumped us. I just came from his apartment.”

Mikasa’s eyes were as wide as saucers. She carefully set her mug down beside mine. Her face was pale.

“He’s out of jail?”

“Yeah, we met a couple days ago. Well, met is a little generous. He kinda abducted me.” I laughed ruefully at the thought.

“That sounds like something he’d do. Did Levi ever mention him to you?”

“No, so that was a big fucking surprise.”

“Did he…do anything to you?” Mikasa asked carefully.

“No,” I said with a shake of my head. “Levi says he’s dangerous, but he actually hasn’t done anything to hurt me.”

“He’s still dangerous,” Mikasa said, “but you can never be sure who he’s going to be dangerous to.” 

“What’s his deal with Levi?” I asked in soft voice. I glanced down at the floor. I wasn’t looking forward to talking about Levi’s ex-fuck-buddy or whoever he was with Levi’s sister, but I needed to know what exactly their relationship was, and why Rivaille was so hellbent on hurting Levi.

“Well, he and Levi were sleeping together,” Miksasa said in a bland voice, “which is a little weird because they’re cousins, but it was totally consensual; they weren’t forcing each other or anything.”

“Did Levi talk to you about it?”

“No. Levi and I don’t talk all that much,” Mikasa said, “but Rivaille and I were actually rather close. He told me just about everything that happened between him and Levi, but he also has a tendency to lie and-or embellish so I only got his, probably dramatized, side of the story. I'm surprised he came back here after getting out of prison. He hated gang life and was only in it to try to get his dad's approval.”

“He’s kinda out to get Levi; that's why he's back.”

“That’s not surprising. He hates Levi.”

“How come?”

“His dad was fucking obsessed with Levi. It’s a little weird actually.” Mikasa frowned. “He would say shit like how he wished Levi was his kid instead of Rivaille. He’d say this to both of them; Kenny was a fucking nutcase and he fucked with their heads all the time. Rivaille became obsessed with Levi like his dad was. His dad put so much pressure on him to be more like Levi that eventually Rivaille just tried to off himself. Levi found him and called Kenny. Kenny saved Rivaille, but he just screamed at him about how worthless and pathetic he is.” Mikasa shook her head. “Kenny was a scary mother fucker. That being said he did save Levi from his childhood situation.”

I had never heard Mikasa talk this much before. Usually, she favored the monosyllabic replies, but she probably had a lot to say since this was her family.

“You mean the prostitution?”

“You know about that.” Mikasa sighed. “Yeah, Kuchel made him sell his body and then he just couldn’t stop even after moving in with Kenny. Eventually Kenny was able to make him feel like he was worth something enough so that he’d stop. Only problem was he made Levi think he was only worth something when he was doing Kenny’s dirty work.”

“So, Rivaille hates Levi,” I said slowly, “but how does Levi feel about him?”

“Worried you’re going to have competition for Levi’s affection?” Mikasa asked with a wry smile.

I flushed and stared down at the floor. 

“I honestly don’t know how Levi feels about him.” Mikasa sighed. “Levi doesn’t hate him; I know that much, but Rivaille thrives off of extreme attention, be it positive or negative. He _needs_ people to either love him or hate him. If Levi won’t love him, then he’ll make him hate him.” She shrugged. “It’s twisted, but that’s Rivaille for you. I think he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but they put him in a fucking maximum security prison instead of a mental hospital.” She shook her head. “I’m glad he’s out of there, but this doesn’t bode well for Levi, or any of us for that matter.”

I nodded slowly as I rubbed my temples. Exhaustion was beginning to seep into my bones. 

"We should get to bed,” Mikasa said. “Erwin called a meeting at nine tomorrow morning. Do you want to come?”

“Sure.”

Levi would be at that meeting, which was the only thing motivating me to go since I didn’t care about the gang in the slightest.

“Cool. I’ll wake you up tomorrow,” Mikasa said. “You okay with sleeping on the couch?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

“Night then.” 

“Night.”

Mikasa waved over her shoulder as she walked down the short hallway. She pulled open the door of her room and vanished inside.

I flicked on the lamp on the end table before turning off the overhead lights. I spread out on the couch and pulled the throw blanket that had been draped over the back of the couch over me. I reached up and turned out the lamp. I gave a quiet sigh as I let my body settle. 

Tomorrow I would see Levi and we would be able to talk about all of this, and not just our personal issues. I couldn’t quite believe that Oruo was dead, and who knew how many others. I hoped Levi wasn’t too torn up about this. That seemed like a terrible thing to think, but I didn’t want him to be sad.

* * *

The next morning found a vast majority of the Wings in one of the conference rooms in the Survey Loans office building. Erwin was addressing the gathering from where he stood at the front of the room. The final death toll from the Warriors' attack stood at sixteen Wings and nine Roses. We had held a moment of silence for the fallen before Erwin launched into the details of what an all-out war with the Warriors would entail.

I wasn’t paying much attention. I hadn’t come this morning out of any sort of loyalty to the gang. Rather, I had come to see Levi. However, he wasn’t present in the room. I leaned over to Mikasa and murmured that I was going to step out for a moment. She nodded.

I stood up and hurried out of the room. We had been among the last to arrive, so we’d found seats in the back of the room. Because of this, I didn’t cause much of a disruption leaving the conference room.

I had been to the office enough times with Levi that I knew where his office was. I wended my way down the hallways until I reached the door of Levi’s office. I knocked lightly.

“Come in,” Levi called.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside. Levi was sitting at his desk perusing some paperwork. Dark circles ringed his eyes. His hair was messy, like he’d run his hands through it one too many times. He was dressed in a rumpled button-up.

“Hey," I said as I closed the door behind me.

Levi looked up. His face softened as his eyes fell on me.

“Hi,” he said.

I crossed the room to the couch and plunked down on it.

“How was the meeting?” Levi asked. He stood up and walked around the desk.

“It’s still going on,” I admitted.

"Is Erwin giving one of his long winded speeches?" Levi said with a small chuckle  as he walked over to the couch and sat down beside me. He dropped his head on the back of the couch and rubbed his eyes.

“Yeah," I said with a laugh. "How are you doing? You look exhausted."

"I'm fine,” he said.

“Were you close to anyone who…?” I trailed off weakly.

“Just Oruo, Gunter, and Erd,” Levi said. He sighed and let his hand fall from his face. He glanced over at me. “This sort of thing happens in this line of work.” He shrugged dismissively. “How are you?” He reached out and brushed his thumb along the bruise that Annie had bequeathed me.

“Okay,” I said. “I wanna sleep for, like, three days.”

Levi laughed quietly.

“What happened exactly?” he asked. 

“After you told me to stay in the apartment, Reiner called saying that he and Bert got jumped and he needed me to help him take Bert to see Hange,” I explained.

“Well that was obviously a trap,” Levi said. 

I glowered at him.

“You’re the one who wanted me to make friends; friends are supposed to help each other out.”

“Is that why you left the apartment even after I explicitly told you not to?” Levi asked blandly.

“Yes,” I mumbled. “Even if I hadn’t left, they probably would have come to get me.”

“True,” Levi admitted with a small twist of his lips.

“So Rivaille and I left the apartment to find them.”

“And why exactly was Rivaille in the apartment in the first place?”

“He just showed up.” I shrugged weakly. “I was too nervous to throw him out so we just sort of hung out for a bit. He brought beer and just drank it while we talked. It was weirdly normal.” Minus the part where Rivaille told me his and Levi’s life story. That had been anything _but_ normal. 

“Hm.” Levi frowned. He refrained from once again pointing out that he wanted me to stay away from Rivaille. “What happened next?”

“We found Reiner and Bert and Bert was totally fine and then Mikasa’s girlfriend jumped us from behind and knocked us out.”

“Annie,” Levi growled quietly.

“Mikasa’s dealing with that,” I said hastily. “We woke up in a basement somewhere and Reiner was acting super weird. He was all angry and mean.” I shook my head. “It was totally unlike him. Bert got a text from Zeke so they took us out of the basement, but then Rivaille and I managed to escape. We took a cab to Rivaille’s apartment, and that’s when I called you.”

“Mm, let’s talk about that.” Levi sighed quietly. He shifted on the couch so he was facing me. “I’m sorry that conversation got a bit out of hand.”

“It’s fine.” I blushed under his intense, gray gaze.

“It’s not.” Levi shook his head. “I do trust you, but I should be better about putting that into action. It’s just hard when Rivaille’s involved.”

“Mikasa told me a bit about your relationship.”

Levi glanced away as the last word left my lips. A light blush colored his cheeks.

“I’m sorry. I kinda also asked Rivaille about it when he came over yesterday. I’m sorry. I totally broke your trust and—“

“Eren, don’t worry.” Levi laid a gentle hand on my knee. “I would have rather told you all this myself, but honestly I probably wouldn't have. I'm glad you know about it.”

I nodded and dropped my head onto Levi’s shoulder. Levi stiffened slightly. This was an instinctual response on his part to being touched out of nowhere. I used to apologize profusely when he would do that, but he always assured me that he was fine.

“Don’t worry about it; I’ll handle it.”

“You two should just talk about this,” I grumbled. “You’re family.”

“That doesn’t mean a whole lot for Ackermans,” Levi said quietly. “Besides, Rivaille isn’t one for talking about things.”

“Neither are you,” I pointed out as I sat back.

Levi gave a dry chuckle. He reached out and cupped my cheek. 

“I have to finish some paperwork then would you like to go get something to eat.”

“Definitely,” I said with an eager nod. 

Levi smiled. He ruffled my hair before standing up and returning to his desk. I curled up on the couch and let my mind fall into a tranquil slumber. Right now what I really needed was a good sleep. I hadn't slept too well the night before since I'd never been in Mikasa's apartment before. On top of that I hadn't been with Levi. I always slept better knowing that Levi was close at hand. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow wow WOW i am SO SORRY about not updating like at all. i've been hellishly busy with school. i really wanted to write a couple chapters so i'd have a few things to post for you guys but my writing block is also p bad. but i figured something is better than nothing?

**Levi’s POV**

**Three Years Ago**

 

_“Sir, Levi is here to see you,” the red-haired secretary said._

_“Thank you, Petra.” Erwin didn’t look up from the sheath of papers he was examining._

_Petra looked over her shoulder and gave me a reassuring smile. I nodded and walked past her into Erwin’s office. The room was large and a pair of couches stood between me and the commanding desk Erwin sat at. I bit the inside of my lip. Behind me I heard the door click shut._

_“Come here.” Though he addressed me, his eyes remained on the paperwork._

_I walked slowly across the room and paused by the desk. My fingers twisted together behind my back and I kept my gaze rooted on the desktop that lay between us. A few minutes later, Erwin set the papers aside. His soft blue eyes rose to me at last. I swallowed as my gaze flickered between his and the desk._

_“Come.” Erwin gestured for me to move closer._

_I walked slowly around the desk and paused by his chair. He rotated in his seat and looked me up and down. A small sigh left his lips._

_“I told you to dress nicely,” he said with a small shake of his head._

_“I—“ I bit my lip as a flush rose in my cheeks. I was dressed in black jeans and a white shirt. Neither displayed any wrinkles and I had even neatly combed out my hair._

_“Look at what I’m wearing,” Erwin said._

_I glanced up at him. My eyes traveled slowly over the tailored suit that he wore. A dark tie stood out starkly against his crisp white button-up. He honestly looked like a model for Calvin Klein or some such company._

_“This is what you should wear here everyday,” he explained as he gestured to his attire._

_“These are the nicest clothes I have,” I murmured. My cheeks felt like they were on fire. I tilted my chin down in an effort to hide this fact from him._

_“We’ll look into getting you a suit then,” Erwin said with a nod._

_“I’m sorry.”_

_Erwin only shook his head. His large hands reached out and delicately took hold of my fingers. I stiffened and had to suppress a long shiver that ran up my spine. His eyes examined the mottled bruising on my wrists._

_“You have a job to do here, and I need you to look like you fit in here,” he said. He released my fingers._

_I nodded and took a small step forward. I understood what he was getting at with his words. My hands moved to his shoulder. Erwin’s brows rose slightly as he watched me carefully straddle him. I wetted my lips cautiously. My fingers dug into the soft fabric of the suit. I leaned forward and brushed my lips against his._

_“Levi, what are you doing?” Erwin asked quietly._

_“I,” I began as I pulled back. Was I not suppose to kiss him when we did it? I bit my lip and quickly clambered out of his lap. “I’m sorry.” My eyes fell to his crotch and I made to drop to my knees, but suddenly Erwin was catching ahold of my elbows and rising from his chair._

_“Levi, what are you doing?” he asked again._

_I released a small, almost desperate sigh of confusion as my wide eyes flickered over his face._

_“Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do?”_

_“No.” Erwin shook his head firmly. He released his grip on my elbows. “That’s not what you’re here for.”_

_“Then why…?”_

_“I want you to work for me. You’re smart; you’re capable. You can move through the ranks easily. In a few years I can without a doubt see you as my righthand man. You have incredible potential, Levi, potential to become someone invaluable to me.”_

*******

**Rivaille’s POV**

 

“Er~win~” I sang as I pranced into the man’s office.

Farlan trailed behind me with his usual expression of passive indifference. The Wings’ boss looked up from his desk. A frown crossed his face when his eyes fell on me. I struck a dashing pose in the middle of the room and waved my hands excitedly. 

“Rivaille.” Erwin’s face twisted into a frown. 

I trotted across to the desk. Behind me, Farlan closed the door and leaned back against the frame. 

“Good afternoon,” I said sweetly as I slipped off the medical mask and sunglasses that had concealed my face.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Erwin said in a tight voice.

“Don’t worry,” I said with a dismissive wave of my hand as I sprawled over the desktop. I propped myself up on my elbows and smiled up at him. “Levi is out to lunch with his precious fuck buddy.”

“Still,” Erwin said, “you shouldn’t be here.”

“But I wanted to check how you’re holding up,” I said with a mocking look of concern. I reached out and cupped his face in my hands. “You must be so sad because of what happened to your p-w-ecious Wings.” I squeezed his cheeks together as I spoke, evoking a sharp scowl from the man.

“Speaking of which,” Erwin said as he knocked my hands aside, “did you have anything to do with that?”

“Me?” I gasped and pulled back. “Why does everyone accuse me of committing such a heinous act?”

Erwin raised an eyebrow.

“I didn’t,” I said with a scowl. “You told me to hit Roses and Warriors, and that’s what I’ve been doing. Swearsies,” I added as I raised my hand as if I were taking a vow.

“And yet that’s not what you’re doing now,” Erwin said tersely. 

“I know.” I smiled coyly up at him. “I thought you could use some comforting.” I batted my eyelashes as I dropped my chest to the desk. “Mm, this table would be comfortable to get fucked against.”

Erwin’s eyes narrowed, but before he could answer, there came a soft knock on the door. Farlan stepped quickly away from the door. He glanced between us and the door knob that was beginning to twist.

“Riv—“

Before Erwin could finish saying my name, I had already darted around the desk. I squeezed past Erwin’s legs into the space beneath the desk.

“Sir,” a kind voice issued from the door, “I—oh, sorry. I didn’t know you were with someone.”

I peered below the bottom of the desk. My eyes found a pair of high heels which had paused level with Farlan’s loafers.

“Don’t worry, Petra,” Erwin said. “What is it?”

“I have some paperwork for you to sign.” The heels clacked across the room as the secretary approached the desk.

“Thank you. You can leave it.”

“It’s just a few signatures.”

“Alright.” Erwin shifted forward. 

As he worked on the signatures, I crawled forward and slid between his legs. He stiffened, but that was his only reaction. I slid my hands over his knees and squeezed his thighs. Erwin’s hand slid below the desk and snatched at the side of my head. I stifled a grunt as his thick fingers wove into my hair. He pressed my head against his thigh and immobilized me between his legs.

I glowered as I heard the scratch of pen on paper. I tried to wriggle out of Erwin’s graps, but the man had thighs of steel and they pinned me mercilessly in place. A few minutes later, Erwin handed the paperwork back to Petra. He thanked her and she left the room.

“Lemme go,” I whined when I heard the door click shut.

Erwin shoved his chair back and dragged me out from beneath the desk. I gasped as my hair strained against my scalp. 

“Erwin!” 

The man slammed me down on the desk. The impact knocked his pen cup on its side and writing utensils rolled over the desktop. Farlan stepped forward, but made no further move.

I bit my lip as I gazed up at Erwin, whose face somehow remained impassive, though his blue eyes bore into me. I swallowed and wetted my lips carefully. I was fully aware of just how dangerous a person Erwin was, but I was also fully aware of just how aroused I was.

“We have a deal, Rivaille,” Erwin said in a cold voice. “Quit dicking around and get your job down.” His knuckles dug into my chest and I whimpered quietly.

“There’s just one thing,” I said carefully. I had the feeling that if I approached this with my usual bravado, Erwin would crush my chest like a seashell. “I’m having doubts that you’ll actually deliver on your end of the bargain."

“Oh, and why’s that?”

“Apparently you’re Levi’s most special person,” I said as a slow smile dragged across my lips. “Could you really hand him over to me when this is all said and done?”

“Who said I reciprocate that feeling?” Erwin asked. He released his grip on my shirt and stepped back.

“Oh? So cold.” I chuckled quietly as I sat up. “I think I’m in love.”

“Leave,” Erwin said flatly.

I giggled happily. I pushed off the desk and skipped out from behind it. 

“Thank you for your heartfelt reassurances, Erwin,” I said as I once again put on my sunglasses and the medical mask. 

Erwin didn’t reply. I waved to him as I went to the door. Farlan pulled it open for me and I flounced into the waiting room. Petra, whose desk stood to the left of the door, glanced up as we emerged. A small frown crossed her face as she looked at the pair of us. I gave her a flamboyant wave before leading the way out of the office.

When we were a few blocks away from _Survey Loan_ , Farlan spoke.

“What are you going to do after Erwin gives you Levi?” he asked in a low voice.

“Not give him to you, that’s for sure,” I said with a light laugh. I pulled off the mask, but I left the glasses on. They made me feel quite mysterious. 

“I know,” Farlan said. “So, what are you going to do?”

“You know what I’m going to do,” I said quietly. I came to a halt in the middle of the sidewalk. I gazed down at the paper mask that I was twisting slowly in the fingers. 

“You don’t need Erwin to make Levi hate you; just take out that kid Eren,” Farlan said. His cold blue eyes were trained on me, but I kept my gaze down.

“It’s too late to back out of a deal with Erwin. He got me out of prison and he can put me back just as easily. Besides,” I said, “if Erwin really is the most important person in Levi’s life, learning of his betrayal will absolutely destroy Levi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again so sorry about lack of updates! i hope everyone enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> EDIT oct 2: you guys. this is NOT an eruri fic. i am NOT a multy-shipper. Levi kissed Erwin/was going to give him a blowjob because he thought that Erwin brought him into the office to be his personal prostitute. Levi's eighteen in that flashback and since he was like four he'd only been used as a prostitute. That's why he did that, but Erwin shut him down. It's like people can't even read??? Please try to refrain from leaving disgustingly rude comments. I put a lot of work into my writing partly for my sake to become better, but also so that fans have a lot of fics to read. To have people come onto my stories and say "People like you should'nt write at all" is so fucking rude. This is an ERERI fic and there might be some rivaille x eren but there is NO erwin x levi


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> still high key peeved with how some people reacted to the last chapter. people like me shouldn't write at all? bitch please. i am SUCH A GOOD WRITER people like you don't deserve fanfics of my caliber tbh

**Levi’s POV**

**Four Years Ago**

 

_“Does that feel good, Levi?” Rivaille murmured softly._

_I whimpered quietly and my fingers gripped the bedsheets harder. I was trembling from head to toe. My calves pressed desperately against Rivaille’s hips as if I could anchor myself to him. His fingers curled sharply and I released a small cry._

_“Do you like this?” he asked again as he worked his fingers against my passage._

_“I—ha—“ I gasped. My back bowed off the bed and I let out a sharp whine. My skin felt clammy with sweat. The tip of my hardened cock brushed against my stomach, smearing precome across my skin. My length was throbbing and my entire body quaked with pleasure. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. I whimpered and tried to squirm away from Rivaille, but the hand on my hip kept me pinned to the mattress._

_“Le—“_

_“Stop,” I whined._

_Rivaille’s eyes widened. His ministrations froze and I gasped in relief._

_“Levi, are you okay? What’s wrong?” he asked in a panicked voice. He made to pull out, but my passage clenched around his digits and I released a soft sob. “Levi.”_

_“Wh-why aren’t you still…?” I managed to work out between pants. I blinked up at him._

_His face was flushed. His long hair fell over his bare shoulder. Sweat shimmered on his forehead._

_“You told me to stop,” he said._

_“I…” I trailed off with a frown. Usually when I said that, I wasn’t listened to, so I hadn’t expected Rivaille to stop._

_“Do you want me to keep going?” Rivaille asked._

_“I—“ I bit my lip and released an annoyed sigh. This was so embarrassing I thought I might die. I had never felt like this around clients. Honestly I had never been very turned on with clients. I was naturally very sensitive, but this was a whole other level._

_“Levi?” Rivaille said as he slowly withdrew his fingers. “Do you not like?”_

_“N-no, I like it,” I said in a soft voice._

_“Do you want me to keep going?” Rivaille said as a small smile dragged across his lips._

_I flushed and nodded._

_“Okay,” Rivaille murmured. The smile twisted into a predatorial grin. “If you want me to stop for real, don’t say ‘stop’; say ‘red’ instead.”_

_“Oh—“ The word broke off in a cry as Rivaille slammed his fingers back inside of me. I whined loudly and my hips rocked down on Rivaille’s fingers._

_“Does it feel good, Levi?” Rivaille asked again. His fingers worked against my walls, drawing quiet whimpers from me._

_I bit my lip and tossed my arms over my face, which was stained a permanent red at this point._

_“I want you to say how good it feels, Levi,” Rivaille said quietly. He leaned down and his nimble tongue darted against my nipple. “Tell me how it feels, or I’ll stop.”_

_“I-I like it,” I managed between soft gasps._

_“I know that,” Rivaille said with a chuckle. “I want you to describe how you feel.”_

_“G-good.” I whined loudly as Rivaille’s fingers twisted against my prostate. “F-feels good.” The last word broke in a loud sob. “It feels good; it feels good. I don’t—it—“ I whimpered loudly._

_Rivaille sat back on his heels. His ministrations slowed slightly._

_“Levi?”_

_“I-it feels good; I don’t get it—why?”_

_“It’s supposed to feel good, silly,” Rivaille said. He removed his hand from my hip and pulled my arms away from my face. “Do you think I’m faking it when I do it with you?” A small smile pulled at his lips, but I could so a glint of understanding in his eyes; he knew why I was acting this way. Rivialle always knew._

_“No,” I said quietly._

_“This is how it’s supposed to feel.” Rivaille bent forward and nuzzled his face against my neck. “I can make you feel even better if you’ll let me.”_

_“O-okay.”_

 

_I walked slowly out of the bathroom. My hips were aching slightly, causing my stride to be a touch hesitant. I tugged at the towel around my waist. My damp locks dripped cold water down my back. I padded slowly down the hall. When I reached the door of Rivaille’s bedroom, I pulled it open._

_Rivaille was perched on the edge of the bed. He had on a pair of sweats but nothing else. His hair sat in a messy bun on the top of his head. His eyes were glued to the object he held in his hand._

_“Rivaille?” I asked hesitantly as I closed the gap between us. When I was a pace away from him, my eyes dropped what he held in his hand; it was my phone. My stomach dropped. I didn’t lock my phone since Kenny wanted to be able to look through it. My uncle was also one of the few people I texted. “Riv—?”_

_“Levi, do you hate me?” Rivaille asked._

_“Wha—?”_

_Before I could finish the question, Rivaille’s hand snaked out and gripped my wrist. The phone dropped to the floor with a sharp thunk. I gasped as my cousin yanked me onto the bed. I tried to articulate my confusion, but Rivaille’s hands found their way to my throat. He straddled me and pressed his full weight down on my throat. Hot pain shot down my spine. A broken gasp left my lips._

 

I gasped and flailed upright. My breathing tore through my throat and my hands clawed desperately at the phantom pressure on my neck. I sighed quietly as the feeling of being choked faded away. 

My hands dropped to the mattress and one of them brushed soft hair. I glanced down. Eren was curled on his side with his back to me. His shoulders rose and fell with slow, peaceful breaths. I sighed quietly as the calm his sleeping form exuded seeped into me.

After having lunch the day before, we had returned to my apartment to watch some TV. Eren absolutely adored the trashy reality shows that polluted the channels. Despite my own personal dislike of them, I had indulged him. He had fallen asleep while watching. Normally I would have carried him to his bedroom and returned to my own, but the recent events had left me desperate for human company. 

I released another sigh and climbed out of bed. I had relived that last encounter with my cousin in the recesses of my dreams far too many times for my liking. I shook my head slowly as I walked out of my bedroom. The only way I had found to avoid the recurring nightmare was by not sleeping.

When I reached the couch in the living room, I sat down on the edge of one of the cushions. Normally, after awakening from that dream, I would read to try to get my mind off of it, but tonight I couldn’t pull my thoughts away from the memories. I had known all too well what sort of text Rivaille had found on my phone that evening. He and Kenny were the only two people I had ever texted, and my texts with Kenny were almost always as follows:

_I love you._

_I love you too Levi._

It didn’t matter that I said those words out of self-preservation. Kenny had meant it with all his twisted heart, and such an interaction between us tore Rivaille apart. He had always been cripplingly desperate for Kenny’s love, and had never received it. On top of that, seeing me write such words to Kenny, even if I hadn’t meant them, must have broken his heart. 

A soft knock on the front door broke into my reverie. I frowned. Erwin had stationed five men around my apartment to ensure that Eren and I would be safe from the Warriors. No one should have been able to reach the apartment door without my prior knowledge. 

The knocking resounded again, this time a touch louder. I slid to the end of the couch and opened the drawer of the end table. I pulled out the gun I kept there and rose to my feet. My hip still ached dully and persistently from the gunshot wound; it would be a hinderance in a fight if it came to that.

I walked slowly down the entry hall. When I reached the door, I flicked open the deadbolt. My hand curled around the cold metal of the doorknob and I pulled the door open. 

“Levi!” 

The gun rose instinctually; the barrel leveled on _his_ face. Rivaille froze in the doorway. His arms were outstretched for a hug. His light silver eyes gazed down at the gun that was trained on him. As he assessed the object, I stared at his face.

He looked much like he had so many year ago, though he had somehow managed toget gaunter. Prison would do that to a kid. His soft black locks were tied back in a ponytail. Sharp bangs framed his face. He was dressed in tight black pants and a baggy sweatshirt. 

Rivialle blinked and his arms fell limply to his sides.

“Come on, Levi,” he said. “That’s no way to greet an old lover.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i usually try to write 2000 words per chapter, but this is a good place for a chapter break and the next chapter i have planned would make it like 5000 words. also i really wanted to post something cause i have posted in a while


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another shorter-than-i'd-like chapter, but i hope everyone enjoys~ thank you everyone for being patient with this fic

**Levi’s POV**

 

“What are you doing here?” I asked in a low voice. I didn’t lower the gun. I didn’t know if I could or would pull the trigger, but the weapon felt like a shield between me and my cousin.

Rivaille was watching the barrel with a dark trepidation in his eyes. He licked his lips. Slowly, his eyes rose from the gun and met my gaze. A sudden grin flashed across his face.

“I came to see you, of course,” he said.

“How’d you get by the lookouts? Did you kill them?” I somehow managed to keep my arm steady, despite the stark anxiety that was festering in the pit of my stomach.

“Why does everyone always expect such terrible things of me?” Rivaille said with a shake of his head.

“Because you do terrible things,” I said in a low voice.

“That’s true.” Rivaille shrugged. “I didn’t kill ‘em. They just thought I was you.” He giggled happily. 

I sighed and lowered the gun. When I had first laid eyes on him, it had felt as if my entire world had shattered because he _had_ been my whole world. Until he wasn’t; until he was gone. But now here he was, standing in the threshold of my apartment with that cheeky smile on his face. I wasn’t afraid of him; that wasn’t why I had drawn the gun on him. That would have made things so much simpler. 

“Why are you here?” I asked as I stepped aside to let him past. 

Rivaille skipped down the hall. He hopped over the arm of the couch and sprawled across the cushions. I shut and locked the door before following him into the living room. 

“I thought it was about time we saw each other,” Rivaille said. “It’s been so long and I’ve missed you so much.” He gave a coy smirk as he slid his hand down the curve of his hip.

I watched the movement with unblinking eyes. 

“Want something to drink?” I asked as I watched into the kitchen.

“Mm, I’m good.”

I placed the gun on the kitchen counter and went to the fridge. My mind was spinning as I pulled out a bottle of water. I had known full-well that Rivaille would come knocking on my door eventually; I just hadn’t taken the time to brace myself for it. 

“Why did you come back here?” I asked as I turned away from the fridge. “You always talked about getting out and with Kenny gone you could have.”

Rivaille shifted slightly on the couch, but he didn’t reply. I walked over to the couch and stared down at him. He was curled up on his side with his hands tucked under his head. His eyes were closed and his breathing was steady. Now that he wasn’t being his forcibly animated self I could see just how exhausted and haggard he looked. 

I sat down on the edge of the coffee table and gazed at him. He had told me once that he could only sleep when I was around; at least that hadn’t changed.

With a shake of my head, I stood up and pulled the blanket off the back of the couch. I draped it over his slender form. He let out a quite mew as he snuggled beneath the blanket. I went to the armchair that stood beside the couch and sat down. I picked my book up off the end table and propped it open on my ankle. I was actually feeling quite tired myself, but I wasn’t about to fall asleep with Rivaille here. I had no idea what he wanted or what he would do to me or, more importantly, to Eren.

* * *

**Eren’s POV**

 

I yawned and sat up slowly. My head felt thick with sleep, but I forced my eyes open. Gazing around the room, I wasn’t surprised to find Levi missing from it. If he had managed to get any sleep, it probably hadn’t been that much, and he would have go to the living room reading. I was happy to find that I was in his room as opposed to mine. It wasn’t typical for us to sleep together unless it was after fucking. 

At that moment, the door creaked opened slowly. Levi slipped inside and closed the door behind him. He glanced over at the bed and his brows rose in surprise. 

“You’re awake,” he said as he crossed the room.

“Mhm. What time is it?” I asked as I rubbed the back of my hands against my eyes.

“Eight, so earlier for you, unless you were planning on going to school,” he said. He sat down on the edge of the bed.

“I’d rather not.” I cast him a plaintive glance.

“I’m not going to make you,” he said with a light chuckle. He reached out and ruffled my hair. “No need for the puppy dog eyes.”

“Thanks,” I said with a sigh.

“It’s been a rough couple of days,” Levi said. “The last thing you need to do is stress about school.”

The door banged open suddenly. I yelped in surprise. Levi let out a grating sigh as he glanced over his shoulder. Rivaille stood framed in the doorway. His wet hair dripped around his angled face. He had a towel wrapped around his waist. 

“I’m borrowing your clothes,” he declared as he marched over to the dresser.

“Wh…” I breathed weakly as I looked to Levi for an explanation.

“He came over last night,” Levi said.

“Hey, Eren,” Rivaille said. He flashed me a grin over his shoulder as he pulled a long sleeved shirt over his head. 

“Hi," I said weakly.

“So, you and Levi sorted things out I see,” he asked with a coy smirk.

“Rivaille.” Levi’s voice carried more than just a warning; there was a threat buried in it as well.

“Don’t get all possessive on me, Levi,” Rivaille said as he yanked a pair of pants on over the boxers he had bothered. He pulled the towel from his waist and tossed it aside. “I’m not going to do anything to him. I have other things to focus on.” He cast me a quick wink. 

“Would you mind focusing on them elsewhere?” Levi asked dryly. He stood up and folded his arms. 

“But I thought we could get some breakfast,” Rivaille said with a pout. “Just the two of us, like old times. Well—“ he cast his eyes in my direction—“I guess it’s not quite like old times, but Eren can come if he wants.”

“That sounds nice,” I said quickly before Levi could saw whatever had his eyebrows furrowed in a scowl. “I’m really hungry.”

“Oh, goodie!” Rivaille giggled and ran across the room. He bounced onto the bed, but before he could fling his small frame onto me, Levi caught his arm and pulled him back. 

“Let Eren go get dressed,” Levi said. He looked pointedly at me.

Taking that as my cue to leave, I quickly clambered out of bed and hurried out of the room. I made my way to my own bedroom. I didn’t much like the idea of leaving Levi alone with Rivaille, but they’d been alone last night and hadn’t killed each other. Though I felt that at least Rivaille didn’t want that outcome; he wanted Levi to suffer. I had no idea what Levi wanted, but maybe I’d be able to find out over breakfast.

Once I was dressed, I left my room and went to the living room. I found Rivaille and Levi seated on the couch together. ‘Together’ might have been pushing it a bit. They sat on polar ends of the piece of furniture. Rivaille looked like he was moments from climbing over the arm of the couch. Levi’s hooded gray eyes were glowering at the far wall. 

“Ready to go?” I asked hesitantly. 

“Yup!” Rivaille jumped to his feet and a cheerful grin spread over his face. 

At that moment, the front door crashed open. Levi was on his feet in an instant, his hand reaching behind his back. I turned around and my eyes widened. A trio of masked men were flowing into the entry hall. The one in the front raised a gun. I heard someone yell my name and a hand clasped my shoulder. I was yanked back a step, but suddenly the sound of a gun going off rang through the air. Pain blossomed in my chest.


	16. Chapter 16

**3rd Person POV**

 

“Zeke, is this entirely necessary?” the wiry man asked as he stared at the two-way mirror that revealed the gang leader’s fighting room.

“Of course,” Zeke said, waving a dismissive hand. He was seated in a posh armchair. His circular frames perched on the bridge of his nose and he peered through the lens at the currently empty room. “I want to see this fabled Mad Dog first hand.”

The wiry man gritted his teeth and folded his arms. 

“But against your Armored Dog?” he said in a low voice. “Eren won’t stand a chance against him.”

“You almost sound fatherly in your concern, which is entirely unlike you,” Zeke said with a low chuckle. 

“Shouldn’t you harbor some familial concern toward Eren?” came the clipped retort.

Zeke’s eyes narrowed. He turned his head to the side and gazed at the man behind him out of the corner of his eyes. 

“I don’t dote special treatment on anyone, not even family.”

“Sir.” The interruption came from the doorway of the spectators’ booth. A thick chested man dressed in a sharply cut suit stood just within the threshold. “We’ve brought the two Ackerman kids.”

“Good, good,” Zeke said. He curled his fingers in an ushering manner.

* * *

**Levi’s POV**

 

My eyes widened as Eren’s limp body slumped to the floor. Rivaille dropped to his knees behind him. He was frantically calling the boy’s name. Another round of gunfire sliced through the air. Rivaille’s shoulder jerked back from the impact and he dropped to floor as well.

I couldn't move; I couldn’t breathe; I couldn’t think. My finger curled around the trigger. The recoil knocked my stunned body back a step. A sharp cry of pain resounded in the air. My eyes were locked on the pair of bodies sprawled on the floor. Slowly, it was dawning on me that there was no blood. Before my mind could entirely grasp this situation, pain shot up my forearm. A tranquilizer dart was buried in the soft skin of my arm. Relief flooded over me as I dropped into darkness.

* * *

Rivaille was being a right pain in the ass. I didn’t blame our guards for threatening to tranq his ass again. We were being led down a long, imposing corridor of what seemed to be within the confines of an enormous mansion. I had know way of knowing if this were the case, since I had been unconscious upon arriving at the location. Rivaille and I had come to together in a basement cell. There had been no sign of Eren and despite all of my questioning, no one would tell me where he was.

Rivaille finally exhausted himself in his tirade of the injustice of being abducted. He grumbled under his breath as he plodded along beside me. Every once and a while, he yanked in annoyance at the cuffs that bound his wrists together, but of course that did nothing to free him.

We reached the end of the corridor and one of the men opened the heavy, mahogany door that stood at the end of the hall.

“Sir,” he said as he stepped into the room. His massive bulk blocked my view of what lay beyond. “We’ve brought the two Ackerman kids.”

“Good, good.” A familiar voice came from within the room.

My stomach twisted and I glanced sidelong at Rivaille. Even he seemed to have finally comprehended the severity of the situation. He was gnawing on the inside of his lip and his gaze was on the floor.

Our escorts ushered us into the dark room that the Warriors’ leader was in. Zeke lounged in a large armchair in the center of the room. Another man stood in the far corner, but shadows hid his visage from us. The only light came from that which poured through the massive window that spanned the far wall. Beyond it lay a large, empty room. It was essentially a concrete box with fluorescent lights hanging from the ceiling and door in the far wall.

“Levi, Rivaille,” Zeke said in his deep, rumbly voice. He greeted us like friends as he rose from his seat and smiled down at us. “So good of you to join us.”

“Yeah, ‘cause we had a choice in the matter,” Rivaille muttered as he stomped into the room.

I rolled my eyes. Rivialle lacked any and all sense of survival instinct. I followed him into the room.

“Zeke, what’s the meaning of this?” I asked in a low voice.

“Levi, would you care for a small wager?” Zeke asked as he resumed his seat. He waved a hand toward the window. “This is where I have my dog fights,” he explained, “and I have a very special fight planned for today.”

I gritted my teeth and my gaze flitted to the window once more. The door within the far room opened. Eren’s brief and former roommate, as well as attempted abductor, stepped in to the room. Reiner was stripped to the waist. He wore loose black sweatpants. He was lazily stretching his muscular arms across his chest. He walked into the middle of the room and stopped.

“Fuck is this,” Rivaille said. 

“Where’s Eren?” I said. I pulled my gaze away from Reiner’s impressively muscled form and looked at Zeke.

“He’ll be joining us soon,” the Warriors’ boss said.

“Is this why you tried to have Reiner abduct Eren?” I demanded. “You want the two of them to duke it out in one of your gladiator fights?”

Zeke was renowned for pitting his men against each other in these sort of fights. He claimed having them fight to within an inch of their life helped build character. 

Zeke’s only response to my barrage of questions was a low chuckle. His gaze was on the window and he waited expectantly.

“Levi,” Rivaille murmured quietly, “what’s going on?” He moved toward me a touch. 

“They’re going to have Eren fight him.” I nodded to Reiner.

“Why? Doesn’t Zeke have a gang war to win? This is a waste of time.” Though Rivaille spoke dismissively, I caught a hint of anxiety in his voice.

At that moment, the far door opened once more. A cacophony of shouts and curses preceded Eren’s graceless entry into the room. He was quite literally tossed inside and the door was slammed shut behind him.

“Fucking ass wipes,” he yelled as he threw himself against the door. “I’m gonna break your fucking dicks off.”

“Now, now, Eren,” Zeke said.

I glanced at him in confusion, unsure how he thought Eren could hear him. Zeke had his thumb pressed against a button on the inside of the arm of his chair. I looked back at Eren, he was staring grouchily up at the ceiling from where Zeke’s voice emanated.

“Who the fuck said that?” he demanded as he turned around. “Reiner?” His brows furrowed in confusion as his eyes fell on Reiner’s back. 

“Eren, you’re going to want to save your strength for the opponent in front of you,” Zeke continued.

“Opponent?” Eren said in confusion. He looked around as if he expected someone else to materialize in the room. 

“Yes, Eren. You and Reiner are going to put on a little show for us,” Zeke said. A small smile twisted his thin lips. 

“Fuck you,” Eren said as he folded his arms. “I’m not doing shit for you.”

Zeke glanced over his shoulder and nodded. A sudden yelp made me spin around. Rivaille was on his knees behind me. One of the guards had a fistful of his hair in his fingers and was pinning his face to the floor.

“If you don’t do as I say, your friends—or should I say lovers?— will pay the price,” Zeke continued.

“Wha…?” 

“Eren,” I said curtly as I took a step toward the glass. 

“Levi!” Eren spun around, trying to find the source of my voice.

“Behind the two-way mirror, dumbass,” I said.

Eren ran to the mirror and pressed his face to the glass as if that would allow him to see me.

“Levi.” His eyes flitted across the glass trying to find me.

“Eren, are you ready to participate in the fun?” Zeke asked. "Levi and I have a little wager going; you don't want to disappoint him."

“Fuck you,” Eren snapped.

“Reiner.” Zeke’s voice took on a sharp edge. “Show me what a Warrior is.”

Reiner surged forward. He grabbed Eren and flung him across the room. Eren yelled as his body slammed into the far wall. 

“Eren,” Rivaille gasped. He’d been released once Reiner had moved, and now he stumbled to his feet. He moved toward the window and rested his fingers on the thin sill. 

Eren pushed himself to his feet. He glared up at Reiner as the boy approached him slowly. Reiner unleashed a flurry of fists on him, but Eren dodged or blocked the blows adeptly. 

“He’s not angry enough,” Zeke murmured under his breath. He pushed the intercom button again. “Eren, if you lose this fight, I’m going to fuck your Ackermans.”

Eren released a snarl. His eyes flashed and his jaw set in a fierce scowl.  Eren surged toward Reiner. He threw his entire body at the larger male and pummeled him. Reiner caught his shoulders and shoved him back. He was much better versed in fighting there Eren was, but what Eren lacked in skill, he made up for in pure anger. He landed a vicious blow on Reiner’s face. Reiner snarled and delivered a quick kick, causing Eren to stumble back. The pair continued like this, neither gaining any definitive upper hand over the other. 

“He’s really holding his own,” Zeke said. He looked over his shoulder at the man who stood in the far corner. 

My gaze remained rooted on the skirmishing pair. My hands were twisted into fists and tremors wracked my body. I wanted nothing more than to throw myself through the plate of glass and kick Reiner’s ass. 

“This is ridiculous,” Rivaille said. “If I wanted to watch sweaty, naked guys, I would have stayed home and jacked it to porn.” He was doing a masterful job of disguising his nerves behind his usual bravado, but I knew him well enough to recognize his signs of anxiety. He was twisting his slender fingers together and his lips were twisted in a small, almost desperate frown.

“How far do you think I can push him, Levi?” Zeke asked as he glanced up at me.

I frowned and didn’t acknowledge his gaze. My eyes were on Eren, who Reiner was steadily pushing back across the room with his barrage of attacks.

“Eren,” Zeke taunted, “don’t back down now. Unless you want me to take your ‘handler’. I've always been curious of him, you know. He's renowned in the Triad for his occupation of a former prostitute. I've always wanted a taste.” Zeke glanced over at me and smiled. 

Eren let out an inhuman snarl. He ducked under Reiner’s swinging fist. He slammed his shoulder into the boy’s gut. Reiner stumbled back with a gasp. Eren spun and delivered a vicious roundhouse kick to Reiner’s chest. The boy flew back and slammed into the mirror. The glass trembled and a thin crack appeared. Reiner shoved away from the glass and rushed at Eren. He raised his fist, but Eren caught his wrist. He spun the pair around, and threw Reiner over his body. Reiner went airborne and soared toward the mirror. 

“Rivaille.” I leapt forward and grabbed my cousin. I dragged him away from the glass and we fell to the floor just as Reiner’s body crashed through the two-way mirror.

Reiner skidded across the floor. Broken glass cut into his body. He slammed to a halt against Zeke's legs. He growled and made to push himself to his feet, but Zeke laid a placating hand on his shoulder. 

I looked through the open gap between the two rooms. Eren rushed across the room. He slammed his hands on the window sill, ignoring the broken glass that pierced his flesh. He clambered over the divide. His eyes were rooted on Zeke.

“Eren.” I shoved myself to my feet and intercepted Eren. I slammed my chest against his and pushed him back against the window sill. “Eren,” I murmured again.

The click of safeties being turned off sounded behind me. Eren shoved against me, but I held him in place against the window sill.

“That’s enough, Eren. Calm down.”

Eren released a deep breath. His eyes flickered away from Zeke and he found mine. I stared up at him.

“You really are a dog whisperer, Levi,” Zeke said with a chuckle. 

Eren let out a low growl, but I held him in place. 

“Get a grip,” I murmured in his ear. “Unless you want me to beat your ass here.”

Eren swallowed and small flush filled his cheeks. He dropped back against the windowsill and I felt the last of his anger drain from him. I looked over my shoulder at Zeke. The man was smiling at us in a way that made my stomach twist. My eyes moved beyond the boss, however, to the man that had stepped out of the shadows behind him. He had a thin face and dark hair. A pair of glasses rested on his nose. His dark eyes were fixed on Eren. 

Eren slowly looked around as he registered the intense gaze. His eyes widened.

“D-dad?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope everyone enjoys the chapter! and thank you for all of your support of my writing. if you would like to help fuel more writing you can buy me coffee! http://ko-fi.com/A006GYB


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops another long time since an update   
> i hope everyone likes the chapter

**Eren’s POV**

 

I stared down at my hands, which were secured together by cuffs. In turn the cuffs were locked to a metal table. My fingers twisted together in an effort to keep from once again trying to futilely rip my hands free. 

After the fight with Reiner, I had been brought into some sort of interrogation-looking room: it was colored in a dark gray scale, much like the room where I had fought Reiner, which was entirely juxtaposed to the ostentatious corridor I had been dragged down to get here. I didn’t much mind being cloistered away here since it gave me plenty of time to think.

About my father.

My father, whom I had last seen five years ago. My father, who had been so strung out on heroin he had practically resembled a skeleton. This was no longer the case. The brief glimpse I had received of him before he had left the room had proven that he was quite healthy. 

After I had been removed from that room, I had been taken here. I would add that that had been very much against my will; I had kicked and screamed the entire time. When I wasn’t merely vocalizing like a borderline madman, I had been demanding to know where they were taken me; where Levi and Rivaille were; mostly what the fuck was going on. 

I sighed quietly. I couldn’t be certain, but from my reckoning I would guess about fifteen minutes had passed since then. As far as I was concerned, this was plenty of time for for my father to get his act together and come see me. 

He wasn’t in agreement with me until about another ten minutes later. The door of the room creaked open slowly. I looked up from my hands. My father stepped inside. I stared at him with wide eyes as he crossed to the table and sat down in the only other chair available. 

His cheeks were no longer sunken or sallow; instead, full and slightly flushed. His hair wasn’t as thin as it had been. His eyes struck me most of all. I found no mad glint within them, and thus they didn’t raise a feeling of fear in me. All the same, a sensation of trepidation ran down my spine. 

“Eren.” His voice was low and painfully familiar. I remembered that voice telling me stories to help me fall asleep. Next to my mother’s laughter, it had been my favorite sound in the world. I also remembered that voice screaming at me when its owner had been launched into drug-induced madness. “I’m sure you have a lot of questions—”

“No fucking shit, genius,” I sneered. I slumped back in my seat and glowered up across the table at him. 

“Give me a chance to explain?” Grisha said in an almost pleading fashion. His eyes flickered across my face.

“Oh, go for it. From the looks of it, I’ve got all day.” I jangled my chains to indicate I wasn’t going any where any time soon.

“I’m sorry for not being there for you after your mother died,” Grisha said in a slow voice, as if he was choosing his words very carefully. He fucking better. One slip up and I’d rip these cuffs off and throw myself across the table at him. “There was…a lot going on .” He sighed quietly. “I—“

“You fucked up. You fucked up big time,” I said in a low voice. “That’s not something I’ll be able to forgive anytime soon. You abandoned me. I was just a kid and you abandoned me.”

“I know.” There was a sharp edge to Grisha’s voice that silenced the tirade that had been on the tip of my tongues. “I know what I did is unforgivable, but I’m not asking you to forgive me. I’m asking you to give me a second chance; to give your family a second chance.”

“My family?” I scoffed. “What _family_? Mom’s dead.”

“I’m not.”

“How fortunate that is is debatable.”

Grisha flinched slight. “I’m not, and neither is my brother. You still have family left.”

“Your _brother_?” An incredulous grimace twisted my expression. “What fucking brother?”

“My brother…well, you met him a little earlier. Your uncle is Zeke.”

“Zeke? That dickhead Zeke, who went to war against the Triad, oh, and also _kidnapped_ me and made me fucking dog fight my friend?” 

“Yes,” Grisha said in a low voice. “I’m sorry about that. He wanted to see how strong you are. Eren, you’ve become so strong.”

I grimaced. The ‘strength’ he was referring to was just me losing my mind to anger. If anything I always felt completely powerless when that happened. 

“I know this is a lot to take in, but Zeke is your uncle, which makes the Warriors your family.”

“That’s a bit of a leap,” I said in a quiet voice.

“Family means a lot to Zeke, to me, to the Warriors. You’re one of us, Eren. You’re a Warrior.”

* * *

I stared at the floor as I followed my father out of the interrogation rub. My fingers absentmindedly rubbed the skin that the cuffs had bitten into. My father had continued much in the same vein after declaring that I was a Warrior. He had sent my head spinning to the point where I couldn’t entirely process what he was saying, but at the end of it all, when he asked if I would give him and my family a second chance, I had nodded in slow, reluctant acceptance.

“Sir.”

I glanced up and watched as man in plain suit hurried down the hall toward Grisha.

“The Ackermans are being brought up now.”

“Good,” Grisha said with a nod.

The man fell into step with the pair that trailed after me and my father. Despite declaring my reestablished trust for my father, the feeling wasn’t entirely reciprocated, if the two guards were anything to go by.

“D-Dad?” I said hesitantly. “What are you going to do with them?”

Grisha looked over his shoulder at me. “I’m sorry, Eren. I know you are…involved with Levi, but they are enemies of the Warriors.”

I swallowed, nodded, and let my gaze fall to the floor. 

Grisha led us down through a doorway and out onto an open balcony that encircled the mansions entry hall. Icontinued to trudge after him as he made for the stairs. My hands were shoved into my coat pockets to conceal the fact that they were twisted in tight fists. 

We reached the foot of the stairs at the same moment that Levi and Rivaille were brought around the corner by a trio of guards. My eyes widened as I spotted my handler in cuffs. His gaze was on the floor, a small scowl pinching his brows together. Rivaille gave him a small nudge and nodded toward me where I had stopped a pace from the last step. 

Levi’s eyes found me. They widened slightly and a question flickered across his face: _are you okay?_

I dropped my gaze to the floor. 

“Grisha, Eren.” Zeke’s voice came from the top of the stairs. He descended the stairs with Reiner at his side and stopped beside me. A smile played across his face as he gazed down at me. “So I hear you have accepted what Grisha has told you.”

“Eren, what’s he talking about?” Levi asked in a low voice as he took a step forward. 

“Eren’s agreed to join the Warriors,” Zeke said with a grin. He walked over to Levi and tip his chin back with a delicate finger. “After all, he is family.”

Levi jerked away from Zeke. One of the guards behind him stepped for and snaked his arm around Levi’s neck, pinning him to his chest.

“Eren, what the fuck is he talking about?”

All eyes fell on me. I could only sense this was the case since my eyes were on the floor. I kept them there for fear of meeting Levi’s gaze.

“I’m a Warrior, Levi,” I whispered. “Zeke is my father’s brother.” My stomach twisted as I spoke the words.

“What?” The weak question drifted off of Levi’s lips. 

I continued to avoid his gaze in favor of examining the ornate carpet beneath my feet. 

“What the fuck?” Rivaille yelled.

My head shot up and I stared at him with wide eyes. A guard had a firm grip on his arms, which was probably a blessing for me because he looked just about ready to rip my head.

“You’re a Warrior now?” Levi’s cousin yelled. “The other day you didn’t even fucking know there were Warriors! And you’re doing all of this for family? Are you fucking kidding me?

"I don’t expect you to understand since you hate your family,” I said in a low voice.

Rivaille’s lips twisted, but he didn’t say anything else. 

“Sir,” Reiner spoke up, “should I escort them out?”

Zeke turned to my former roommate and nodded. “Yes.” He glanced over his shoulder at the cousins. “You should say your goodbyes now.”

“W-wait.” I took a hesitating step toward Zeke, who glanced over at me. “Would it be okay…if I went to?”

“Eren,” Zeke said quietly. He moved toward me and placed a hand on my shoulder. “You know what Reiner’s going to do, right?”

“I know, but I feel like it’ll make moving on to a new family easier.” My words were barely above a whisper.

“Understood,” Zeke murmured.

The guards took Levi and Rivaille out of the mansion. Reiner and I followed side-by-side one another. He didn’t say anything about our fight. I didn’t feel all that inclined to bring it up either. 

Levi and Rivaille were escorted to a town car that stood in the gravel driveway. The guards shoved them into the back seats. They chained their feet to floor and their cuffs to the chains between their ankles.

Meanwhile, Reiner took the driver’s seat while I sat in the passenger seat. I busied myself buckling my seatbelt as Reiner started to the car. 

Nobody spoke and the only sound was the crunch of gravel below the tires. When he had driven a few minutes from the house, Reiner spoke.

“When I do it, you should stay in the car,” he said in a quiet whisper. 

“Okay,” I agreed.

Silence once again fell heavy over the car. I rubbed my sweaty palms on my jeans. My eyes were drilling holes in the dashboard. I could feel panic rising in my chest, but I did my best to choke it down. 

“We’re five minutes away,” Reiner said suddenly.

I glanced up. We were winding down a narrow road, which was flanked on both sides by rolling hills. I watched as the car followed the road into a glade of trees. I took a steadying breath and lunged.

I grabbed the steering wheel and yanked it to the side with all my might. Reiner yelled in shock. The car careened off the road. I braced myself—

The car slammed into a thick oak tree. My body was flung forward only to be intercepted by the crushing force of the airbag. I cried out and my voice wasn’t alone. All of the car’s occupants were enduring the impact with vocalizations of pain.

My head was spinning as I barely clung to consciousness. My chest felt as if it had caved in. I took a small breath and winced from the stab of pain.

Blinking my eyes open, I gazed around. The hood of the car was entirely crumpled and smoke rose from it. The windshield sported a thin crack. I glanced to the side. Reiner was doubled over the steering wheel. Blood trickled out of gash in his forehead.

I twisted around gingerly, my entire body aching in protest to the movement, and stared into the back seat.

“Levi? Rivaille? Are you guys okay?” I asked weakly. 

“What happened?” Rivaille asked in confusion.

“We crashed,” Levi said stiffly.

“Thanks, captain obvious,” Rivaille muttered. He moaned quietly. “Everything hurts.” The chains that bound him rattled as he slumped in the seat.

“I’ll get you guys out of those,” I said. I unbuckled my seat belt and reached out for the car keys. 

After turning off the car, I pulled the keys free. I opened my car door and climbed out carefully. My legs felt like they might give way. I braced myself against the side of the car and moved to open the door.

“You okay?” I asked as I knelt by Rivaille’s chains and set about unbinding him.

“Yeah, I’m good,” he murmured.

When I had freed him of the cuffs, I held out my hand to help him out the car. He moved away and I climbed into the back seat to help Levi out. 

I could feel my handler’s dark eyes on me, but I busied myself with freeing him from the cuffs. When I had succeeded in this endeavor, I climbed back out of the car. Levi got out on the far side of the car. 

“What now?” Rivaille asked as he gazed around us. 

“We go home,” I said.

“Home? Wouldn’t that be just back to that house?” Levi said. He shot a scowl across the car in my direction.

"No," I whispered as I hung my head. “I meant to our apartment.” I glanced up at him. 

His face was impassive as he gazed at me, but his eyes were clouded with anger.

"For me that'll always be home."


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just wanted to write hella smut sue me

**Eren’s POV**

 

It took us over an hour to get back to the apartment. We had to walk from the wreck of the car to a gas station. There we waited close to twenty minutes for Hange to come pick us up. Levi spent the entire time leaning against the wall of the gas station behind Rivaille and I, who were sitting on the curb. None of us spoke. Levi was practically radiating annoyance, a fact that probably only Rivaille and I could have picked up on since we knew him the best.

When Hange finally arrived, we piled into their car. Levi directed them to take us back to the apartment. None of us provided any explanation of what happened, though Levi did take Hange’s phone to update Erwin. 

Hange dropped the three of us off in front of the apartment complex. 

“Well, that was fun,” Rivaille said. He flashed us a tight-lipped grin. “I’ll catch you two crazy kids later.”

“Where are you going?” Levi said flatly.

“I’m leaving,” Rivaille said. “You two are either going to fight or fuck, and I don’t really want to be around for that.” He waved over his shoulder as he walked away down the sidewalk.

Levi watched him go with narrow eyes until he rounded the corner and disappeared. He turned around and set out up the steps. I followed after him. When we reached the door to our apartment, we found it hanging listlessly from its hinges. Levi marched inside, ignoring the door’s sorry state. I stopped just past the threshold and carefully fitted the door into the frame. When I was finished, I slipped off my shoes and walked slowly down the entry hall.

My eyes were on Levi as I went. He sat down heavily on the couch and kicked off his shoes with a scowl.

“Um, Levi,” I said cautiously, “what, what’s wrong?”

Levi released a scathing snort and fixed me with a baleful scowl. “What’s wrong?” he echoed. “Take a wild fucking guess, Eren.”

“I, I don’t know,” I murmured. I hung my head and twisted my fingers together. 

“You said you were a fucking Warrior,” Levi snapped as he surged to his feet.

I took a quick step backward, keeping my eyes averted.

“You said those fuckers were your family.”

“It was just a ruse.” 

“Well, how the fuck do you think your ruse made me feel?”

“I don’t know.” My voice was barely above a whisper.

“Like fucking shit!” Levi closed the gap between us and grabbed me by hair.

I yelped as he yanked my head to the side and twisted it so I was forced to stare up at him. I bit my lip. A small whimper escaped my mouth as I stared up at him. His eyes flashed with anger.

“How was I supposed to know it was a fucking ruse, you pice of shit?” he snarled. “I had to spend that entire car ride thinking you’d betrayed the Wings; betrayed _me_.”

“But I didn’t; I would never,” I cried. “I would never betray you, Levi, and I didn’t. Please, I’m sorry.” My face crumpled and a small sob bubbled in my chest.

Levi loosened his grip on my hair. His hand slid to the nap of my neck. I straightened; his hand remained on my neck. I stared down at him as I tried to stifle another sob. 

Levi pulled me forward. His arm coiled around my waist and his hand pinned my head to his shoulder. He pressed his face to my chest.

“Don’t fucking ever say that sort of shit again,” he whispered. “I don’t care if it’s for a ruse. I can’t bear to think you’d leave me like that.”

“I’m sorry.” I reached up and my hand clenched the fabric of his jacket at his shoulder.

We stood like that for a long moment before Levi pulled back.

“Go to the bedroom,” he snapped, jerking his head in the direction of the room.

I bit my lip and nodded. I hurried through the living room and into his bedroom. I sat on the edge of the bed nervously. I didn’t know what to expect from Levi. He’d never gotten this angry at me before. 

Levi left me waiting for ten minutes. When he finally entered, he didn’t have his jacket on and carried a glass of water. He set it down on the bedside table. I watched his movements carefully. 

“I had to call Erwin,” he said shortly.

I nodded.

“What are you—?” Before I could finish my question, Levi grabbed me by the back of my neck.

He slammed his mouth against mine. I grunted against his lips. My hands shot out and grabbed his hips. The kiss was messy, demanding. Levi’s teeth scraped my lips before yanking brutally on the bottom one. I whined loudly. He shoved me back against the mattress.

“Take off your clothes,” he said in a low voice. 

I hastily shucked off my pants and underwear, then slipped my shirt off. Levi had pulled his shirt off as well. His right hip was still bandaged. There was a dark red stain on the white wrapping, but the blood looked old. I moved back against the pillows as he climbed onto the mattress. He crawled slowly toward me. I bit my lip. My cock twitched slightly between my thighs. 

“Are you still mad at me?” I asked quietly.

Levi stopped when his face was hovering over mine. “Yes. No. I don’t know. I just know I’m pissed off.”

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled.

“Shut up. I just want to fuck you now,” Levi hissed. His head dropped to my chest and he sucked on my nipple.

A guttural moan was pulled from my throat. My back arched off the bed. Levi’s hand came to my other nipple and kneaded the hardened bud. I whined loudly and my hips thrust up desperately. He pulled back from my chest and leaned over to the bedside table. From the drawer he pulled out a vial of lube.

“I’m fucking you raw,” he said flatly.

I whimpered, unable to formulate a coherent response to that.

Levi sat back on his heels. He poured the lube over his fingers and tossed the bottle aside. I gnawed on my bottom lip as I watched his fingers move between my legs.  Levi pressed his middle finger against my tight ring of muscle. He pushed the digit slowly inside of me. I gasped.

“Fuck, Levi, please, hurry up.”

Levi nodded and shoved his finger forward. I groaned. He fucked me quickly with the single finger before adding another. My cock had hardened against my stomach by now. An orb of precome glistened on the tip.

Levi leaned down. His tongue dragged along the length of my cock as he scissored his fingers almost viciously. I choked on a loud moan and my eyes rolled back in my skull.

Levi’s lips closed around the tip of my cock. His fingers continued to open me up as he sucked on my cock. His tongue swirled around the tip and darted into the slit. He continued like this for almost a minute. Tears clung to my lashes and tremors wracked my body when he finally pulled back. 

He drew his fingers out of my passage. I moaned and my hole spasmed around empty air. Levi chuckled quietly. He sat up on his knees and pushed his pants off his hips. His hardened length sprang against his stomach. 

Levi picked up the vial of lube once more and slicked his cock. I watched his every movement almost desperately. Levi caught me by my hips and drew me towards himself. He brought the head of his cock against my twitching passage. Levi rocked forward and shoved his cock into me. I cried out as he buried himself to the hilt. My vision blurred with tears. My fingers scrambled against the bedsheets. Levi pulled out and thrust in again.

“Sl-slow,” I gasped. “Wait, please.” My head was spinning and my stomach clenched as pain spiked in my lower back.

“I thought you wanted me to fuck you fast.” He had stilled his hips with his cock buried deep inside of me.

“No, no, I just wanted you inside me,” I panted. 

Levi chuckled. He grabbed my legs and wrapped them around his wast. “Well, I want to fuck you fast so prepare yourself.”

I whimpered and twisted my face into the pillow.

Levi pulled out and thrust back in. I whined loudly. Loud squelching and the slap of skin on skin filled the room, along with my plaintive moans. My back arched off the bed and I rutted my hips against Levi in time with his every thrust.

“F-fuck,” I panted. “Levi, it—“ I broke off with a wet gasp as his cock pressed against my prostate. “Feels good.”

“Does it?” Levi smirked as he continued to pound into me.

“I want, I want—Levi, c-can I—“ I bit my lip and turned my head so I was gazing up at him.

Levi cock his head to his side. “What do you want, Eren?” he said. I couldn’t believe he could so calm and collected as he fucked me with such reckless abandon.

“I want to…Can I fuck you?”

Levi’s thrusts came to a halt. He stared down at me with hooded eyes. I flushed and bit my lip. _Fuck, had I made him angry? Had I upset him?_

Levi pushed forward off the bed. His hands planted on either side of my head. I cried out as I was bent in half.

“You want to fuck me?” he murmured as he yanked his hips back. He rutted down. His hand slipped between and gripped my cock. He gave it a small squeeze. “Aren’t you about ready to burst now? Look, you’re dripping.”

I shook my head adamantly. 

“Oh?” Levi said as he thumbed the head of my cock. “But you’re feeling so good, aren’t you?” Levi twisted his hips, driving his cock against my prostate.

I cried out.   “Levi,” I panted, “if, if I don’t come, can I fuck you?”

“Fine. If you don’t come.” 

Levi sat back. His hands slid over my chest as he thrust his hips against me. I whined and clenched my stomach muscles. I had been rather close to coming before, but now with Levi putting everything he had into pounding my sweet spot I was about ready to lose it. I wrapped my hands around my cock and gripped tightly, drawing a strangled cry from my own lips.

Levi laughed down at me. His hands coiled around my throat. He pressed his weight down on me. I choked and wheezed. My head spun from the loss of oxygen. My hips rutted and heat pooled in my stomach. 

Levi drove his cock into me. He fucked me hard and fast into the mattress, all the while intermittently cutting off my air supply. I was openly sobbing my now. My breath hitched in my chest. My cock was aching in my grip.

Levi twisted down harshly. My passage tightened around his dick. Levi gasped and came deep inside of me. My eyes rolled back in my skull as his hot come poured inside of me. My body convulsed. The telltale sensation of an orgasm washed over me. I sobbed quietly and my hands dropped onto the mattress on either side of my body. Levi’s own grip fell away from my neck. Slowly, he pulled out.

“Ha,” Levi panted. He leaned over me and rubbed his forehead against my shoulder. “You came.” 

“‘M still hard,” I breathed. My throat constricted painfully as I spoke. 

Levi stared down my body at my cock, which arched proudly over my stomach. A strand of precome dangled from it, pooling on my stomach.

Levi chuckled softly. “You are,” he murmured. He released a small sigh and nodded against my chest.

I grabbed his hips and flipped us over. Levi gasped as I pinned him to the mattress. I pressed my lips eagerly against his. Levi carded his fingers through my hair and pushed my head back.

“Get on with it," he murmured.

“You’re okay with me…?”

Levi nodded.

I sat back on my heels and grabbed the lube. I poured it over my fingers and carefully slicked each digit. I could feel Levi’s eyes on me. My gaze was on his body. I could sense the tension in his muscles.

“Let me know if that bothers you,” I said, nodding to Levi’s injured side.

Levi nodded again. His teeth were buried in his bottom lip.

I brought my wet fingers to his passage. Carefully, I circled my index finger around his hole. Levi’s breath hitched. I pushed the digit slowly into his passage, which spasmed slightly. I buried my finger to the last knuckle and curled it as best I could. Levi grunted.

I looked up at him. His arm was thrown over his face, leaving only his mouth visible to me. His flushed chest rose and fell rapidly. 

I drew my finger out and pushed it back in. Levi huffed quietly. His passage constricted around my finger.

“Levi, you gotta relax." My other hand stroked his under thigh gently. 

A strained whimpered left his lips.

I sighed and pulled my finger out. I gently caught his legs behind his knees and pushed them against his chest. I ducked forward. My hot breath fell between his legs.

“E-Eren?” Levi gasped in confusion.

My tongue lapped gently over his puckered entrance. A shudder ran down Levi’s spine. I worked my tongue slowly against his hole. He whimpered and his body began to shake. I pushed my tongue into his passage. I’d never done this before and I found myself drooling a little. I shoved my tongue in as deep as I could. Levi sobbed, and his hips rutted against my face.

I dropped one of his legs onto my back and brought my hand to his passage. I pushed a finger in beside my tongue. Levi let out a muffled moan. His entire body was trembling by now. I worked a second finger into him as I continued to fuck him with my tongue. 

Levi was soon moaning and whimpering with every breath he took. One of his hands had found my head and he gripped my hair desperately. His hips rocked against my face. When I finally pushed a third finger into him, I pulled my face back. Levi’s leg slid of my back and his hips fell to the bed. 

I sat back on the bed. My fingers curled and spread inside of him as I stared down at him. I released my grip on his thigh and wiped my mouth on the back of my hand. Levi's arm was pressed against his mouth. I could see a thin trail of blood running down his chin. I reached out and caught his wrist. I carefully pulled his arm away from his face. Levi couldn’t meet my eyes. His face was flushed and stained with tears. 

I leaned forward and licked the trail of blood off his chin. Levi’s eyes squeezed shut. I left a small kiss on his forehead as I sat back again.

“How do you feel?” I asked in a tight voice. My cock was straining against my stomach. My whole body ached for release and I had half a mind to just jerk off while I finger fucked him. “Do you feel ready?”

Levi’s eyes blinked open. He stared up at me and nodded. 

“I want to hear you say ‘yes’ if you want to do it,” I said.

Levi opened his mouth. A small exhale left his lips. “Yes,” he breathed.

I nodded and carefully drew out my fingers. I slicked my cock with the rest of the lube we had. I grabbed his hips and flipped us over once more. Levi’s eyes widened as he dropped into my lap. I gasped as my cock pressed against his ass. 

“Ride me.”

Levi nodded. He sat forward, bracing his hand against my chest. He reached back between his legs. His slender hand curled around my cock. I bit my lip. Levi carefully aligned the tip of my dick with his entrance. He squeezed his eyes shut and lowered himself onto my length.

I gasped my cock slid past his ring of muscles. It took every ounce of my strength not to thrust up into him. Levi whimpered. When he was finally seated fully on my cock, he let out a gasp of relief. His hands pressed against my ribs. His shoulders trembled. 

“Levi, I’m sorry,” I panted. “I need to—“ My hips twitched.

Levi nodded. He pulled off my cock. I grabbed his thighs and shoved my hips up. Levi cried out. His hand flew to his mouth and he curled over my chest. 

“Fuck, I’m sorry,” I hissed, but I continued to rut my hips up.

Levi whimpered quietly. His hands dropped to my chest. He straightened up. He lifted his hips and dropped down onto me. A shuddering cry left his lips. I gasped as I stared up at his flushed face.

“Eren,” Levi groaned. “I can’t…like this…” He shook his head. His thighs trembled beneath my hands. “It’s too much.”

I grabbed his hips. I pinned him against me, keeping my cock buried inside of him, as I flipped him onto the mattress once more. Levi wrapped his legs around my hips. I dragged my cock out of his passage and pushed back in. 

Levi’s teeth latched onto my shoulder. A moan vibrated through my bones. I thrust into him haphazardly. Levi sobbed against my shoulder. Drool rolled out of the corner of his mouth and down my chest. 

“Fuck, Levi, I’m gonna come,” I hissed as I picked up my pace.

Levi cried out loudly. His body arched up from the bed. His chest pressed against mine and I felt his cock tremble against my stomach. Come spurted from the tip, splattered our chests. I groaned loudly and came inside of him. 

I rode out my orgasm as I thrust shallowly into Levi. When my hips finally stilled, a long tremble ran through Levi’s body. His arms hooked around my neck. His teeth released my shoulder. 

I slipped carefully out of his passage. My cock was sticky with come. My arms shook as I continued to try to hold myself over Levi’s body. He tugged lightly on my neck and I dropped my full weight onto him. I nuzzled my face against his chest, which was still heaving slightly.

We stayed like that for I didn’t even know how long. Eventually, Levi mumbled something about me being heavy and I rolled onto the mattress beside him.

“Was that okay?” I asked as I trailed my fingers slightly along his wrist.

Levi turned his head to face me. He nodded slowly.

“I want to hear you say it.”

“I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well shit levi don't make it gay
> 
> instagram: toxzen  
> tumblr: toxzen  
> buy me ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/A006GYB


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> cw: blood/violence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha sorry to be that fanfic author who like never updates anything. i have a concussion rn so this is probably an incoherent mess too but hey it's something also next chapter will be the last--if i ever end up righting it. i mean i will but like who knows when gomen gomen uvu

**Eren’s POV**

 

Levi refused to talk about the confession he’d made. ‘Refused’ perhaps was even too strong because he simply did not acknowledge he had said anything. Promptly after letting the words spill, he’d gone to the bathroom and hadn’t come out for some time. When he had returned to the bedroom, freshly showered and looking his typical taciturn self, he had mumbled about getting work done in his office and left me in the bed, the sheets of which I had busied myself changing while he showered.

Levi didn’t come to bed that night. When I woke alone the next morning with a cold pit in my stomach, I had trudged into the living room to find him curled on the couch reading a book. He clearly didn’t have even a remote desire to talk about what he had said, and I didn’t want to pressure him.

His words had thrilled me—I’d loved the sound of them in his voice—but they also terrified me. Levi had never said anything like that to me or anyone for that matter as far as I knew. To put it frankly this changed everything, and Levi didn’t seem to want to do anything about that. 

I couldn’t focus all of my energy on Levi’s confession despite that being exactly what I wanted to do. Upon hearing Levi’s report on the incident with the Warriors, Erwin had insisted that we come tell him in person exactly what had happened, and what my connection to the Warriors was. 

I wasn’t surprised that Levi had told Erwin that my father was back in the picture and my uncle was apparently the leader of the Warriors. That didn’t stop me from fuming over this. My familial bullshit was mine to do with as I pleased. As far as I was concerned it wasn’t within Levi’s right to tell Erwin. 

All I could do about this, however, was to fume quietly as I sat next to Levi in the back seat of the town car Erwin had sent to us. If I had mentioned anything regarding my displeasure, Levi would have fallen back on his classic excuse that Erwin was the boss and therefore had the right to know everything about our personal lives. I wondered if that included the fact that Levi purportedly loved me.

I shivered at the thought and glanced at Levi out of the corner of my eye. He was gazing unblinkingly out the tinted window of the town car. Was what he had said eating away at him like it was at me? Or was he more concerned with the fact that we were going to Erwin’s _house_ and not just the office? That certainly perturbed me to an extent. I had never been to Erwin’s house, nor had I ever heard of anyone else going, even Levi. 

“Levi?” I said slowly.

He twitched at the sound of his name, but he continued looking out the window.

“Why are we going to Erwin’s house and not the office?” When Levi had first told me our destination, and then ushered me into the town car, I hadn’t had time to process what was happening let alone question it. 

Levi shrugged. “Erwin’s worried about a hit at the office, so he’s staying out at his house for now.” 

“Oh, okay,” I said with a nod. 

We didn’t speak for the rest of the ride. I might have Levi trapped in the car with me with nowhere to run from the questions I wanted to ask him, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything else. What if, when I asked him about last night, he brushed it off saying it was just the orgasm talking? What if he’d actually meant he’d loved the sex? That wasn’t so bad. I had loved the sex, and he had a lot of trauma surrounding bottoming so to know that he had enjoyed it with me would be great, but, still, I wanted him to love _me—_ to be in love with me—and not just the sex. Then again, hadn’t I told myself some time ago that I wasn’t in love with him? It made me a bit of hypocrite to want him to be in love with me, but to not reciprocate. 

The town car pulled to a halt after an almost forty minute drive. Erwin’s driver, a stoic man who hadn’t uttered a single word this entire time, climbed out of the car and opened the door for us.

Levi exited the car and I followed after him. I gaped up at the expansive house that stood before us. I had been too busy staring down at my fidgeting fingers to notice the passing scenery and I found myself somewhere entirely different from the city. We must be at the edge of the suburbs by now. Erwin’s house was a large, Tudor-styled affair and surrounded on all sides by dense groves of trees. Overall I found it stupidly excessive, but I couldn’t help but gape at it. 

I looked over at Levi. He seemed unfazed by the ridiculous opulence where his boss resided. He walked up the porch steps. The crunch of gravel behind me made me look around; the town car was pulling away to the separate standing garage.

As I mounted the steps after Levi, he rang the doorbell. I half-expected a maid in one of those frilly French uniforms to open the door, but instead Erwin himself pulled the door. He was dressed in crisp black slacks and a freshly pressed button-up. He smiled at us.

“Thank you for coming,” he said. 

Levi nodded. He was as non-verbal as ever, but I did notice his face soften slightly upon seeing Erwin. 

A glower crossed my face and I flounced into the house after Levi. I didn’t bother with a greeting for Erwin. I felt no qualms about making it blatantly obvious that I didn’t want to be here. 

Erwin led the way through the house to his office, which overlooked a vast expanse of gardens that made up his backyard. At Erwin’s behest, Levi and I sat down on the couch in front of the fireplace. Erwin took a seat in one of the armchairs. 

“How are you doing?” he asked as he glanced between us. Concern drew his thick brows together. 

It was hard to keep up my annoyance for him when he looked so genuinely worried about us, but somehow I managed. I slumped into the couch, folded my arms, and directed my glower at the fireplace. I was well aware that I was acting like a petulant brat, but there was so much about this situation I absolutely hated that I didn’t give a shit. 

“Been better,” Levi said quietly. “Would’ve been six feet under if it weren’t for Eren’s quick thinking.”

I flushed at the sound of my name and glanced over at him. His eyes gazed at me softly for a beat before looking back at Erwin. I rubbed the back of my neck. Yesterday he had been absolutely furious with me over the stunt I’d pulled, but then again it had kept him and Rivaille alive so it was nice to know that he knew he should be grateful for this.

“How are you holding up, Eren?” Erwin asked, turning his gaze to me.

“Fine,” I said sharply. “Don’t really get what we’re doing here.”

“I find it easier to talk about these things in person, and the office is no longer a safe place to do so,” Erwin said. His voice practically dripped with excessive patience, like he was a principal and I was his wayward student. He looked at Levi. “You gave a brief summary of what happened; will you expand?”

Levi nodded and launched into a detailed description of his end of the affair. He ended with the car crash and attention turned to me to fill in my side of the events.

“Um,” I said as I wrung my hands. “After Reiner and I fought, they locked me up in this room, and my dad came in.” My brow wrinkled as I spoke the words. With everything that had happened I had yet to process completely the fact that my dad was back in the picture. It was still hard to believe that, let alone I had an uncle. “He told me that Zeke’s my uncle and that I’m a Warrior.”

Levi shifted sharply beside me. I glanced over at him. His head was turned away from me. I looked over at Erwin. He sat forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

“Then what?” he prompted in a low voice.

“Then I told my dad I’d join the Warriors,” I breathed. “I thought I’d have more room to work if I lied like that.”

“That was quick thinking on your part,” Erwin said.

“Uh, yeah.” I shrugged. Levi probably would have preferred I spat in my dad’s face. That had certainly been my preference as well. “Then we went to the front hall and Levi and Rivaille were brought out. Reiner was supposed to take them somewhere and—“ I shrugged. “So I, like, offered to go to, and then, yeah, I crashed the car…The end.”

“Did you tell your father anything else?” Erwin asked.

“Like what?” I cocked my head to the side.

“Did he ask for any information about the Wings after you claimed to be a Warrior?” Erwin expanded.

“No,” I snapped. “I didn’t snitch about anything.” My voice rose sharply.

“Eren,” Levi admonished quietly.

I shot him a fierce glare. “I didn’t tell them anything, saying I was a Warrior was just part of the ruse!”

“Jeez, Erwin, don’t rile the poor boy up.”

I whipped around on the couch at the sound of Rivaille’s familiar, lilting voice. Levi gasped and jumped to his feet. 

Rivaille was dressed in ripped black leggings and a loose-knit gray sweater. His hair was tied back in a high, pin-straight ponytail. He was also sneering in a self-satisfied way.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Levi snapped.

“I came to give _my_ report to Erwin.” He skipped across the room dropped onto the arm of Erwin’s chair.

Erwin sat back in the chair and gazed up at Levi’s cousin. Levi, on the other hand, slid his hand behind his back and caught hold of the gun he had tucked in the back of his jeans.

“How did you even get here?” Levi demanded. His eyes flickered to Erwin.

“Oh, Erwin didn’t invite me,” Rivaille said as he coiled his arm around Erwin’s shoulders. “He wouldn’t have wanted you to see me here, would you, Erwin?” He pinched Erwin’s cheek.

Erwin’s eyes narrowed. He knocked Rivaille’s arm aside and stood up. He walked over to the window that stood beside his desk. Levi glanced between his back and Rivaille, who had flopped into the empty armchair.

“What, what do you mean?” Levi asked slowly.

“Well, you see,” Rivaille said as laced his fingers together, “Erwin asked for my assistance in certain tasks.” He chuckled lightly. “I have him to thank for getting me out of jail, don’t I?” His head dropped back over the arm of the chair and he grinned lopsidedly at Erwin’s back.

“Erwin?” Levi asked in confusion.

“So, did you follow Levi here?” Erwin said as he turned away from the window.

“Yup!” Rivaille said. “This seemed like a perfect time to spill the beans about our partnership. You see, Levi, Erwin got me out of jail to do a few jobs for him, and my price was, well to put it simply, you.” He flashed a quick grin at Levi.

“Wh-what do you mean?” Levi asked in a small voice.

I swallowed. Levi looked utterly distraught. His brows were furrow; his jaw slack; his mouth opened slightly. His hands were trembling at his sides. 

“He means Erwin used you as currency.” A new voice spoke from the doorway. It was low, husky, and made Levi flinch violently.

I rotated on the couch and stared at the doorway. A tall man with a long face and a sparse goatee stood in the doorway. A leer was plastered across his sallow face. He was carefully cleaning a curved knife with a handkerchief, the pale satin of which was coming away stained red. A pair of guns were strapped to his thighs.

I looked up at Levi. He was noticeably trembling from head-to-toe, and was ghastly pale. His lips were drawn together in a thin line. 

“Daddy, you made it,” Rivaille said excitedly as he clapped his hands. “I’m so happy.”

_Daddy?_ I looked back at the man in the doorway.

“Kenny Ackerman,” Erwin said in a low voice. “It has been quite some time.” He looked over at Rivaille. “I’m guessing this is the true reason you’re here today?”

Rivaille shrugged. “Yeah, you caught me. I might have made a deal with Daddy too. You were the price of that one.” He giggled happily as he jumped out of the chair. He skipped over to Levi and draped himself over his cousin’s back. “Isn’t it so nice to see him?”

Levi stiffened. Rivialle coiled his arms around his neck and nuzzled his face against Levi’s back.

“It’s good to see you Levi,” Kenny said as he slid his blade into his belt. “You seem to be doing quite well as Erwin’s personal whore.”

I snarled at the comment and my hands gripped the back of the couch. 

“Who’s the kid?” Kenny asked, glancing over at me with disdain.

“None of your concern,” Levi snapped.

Kenny raised a brow and looked back at his nephew.

“Daddy—“

I cringed at Rivaille’s use of the word, but knowing him that was probably the reaction he hoped to garner.

“—can I leave with Levi now?” Rivaille rested his chin on Levi’s shoulder.

“Of course,” Kenny said. “You can take him with you.”

Kenny’s hands shot to one of the guns on his thigh. I barely had time to think, let alone move, everything happened so fast. Kenny pulled the guns free of their holsters. He raised the one in his left hand and trained it on Levi’s chest. Levi’s eyes widened. A bullet exploded from the barrel of the gun. Rivaille cried out and I felt my own throat vibrate as I screamed Levi’s name. Rivaille’s grip tightened on Levi’s neck and he yanked his cousin around. The bullet flew through the air and buried in Rivaille’s back in a splatter of blood. The pair fell to the floor in a heap of limbs. 

Erwin lunged forward. He grappled beneath his desk for a moment and yanked free and gun of his own, which he trained on Kenny, who by now had both guns pointing at Erwin as well.

“Levi!” I cried out as I practically fell off the couch. I clambered over to the cousins. “Rivaille!”

Levi was whimpering his cousin’s name as well as he shifted out from underneath Rivaille’s body. He caught Rivalle in his arms and pulled him into his lap. “Rivaille.” His voice was thick and trembled. His hands pressed against Rivaille’s back and blood seeped through his fingers.

“Well, that was a surprise,” Kenny said, though his gaze was on Erwin. “I never would have expected that from someone who spoke so often of wanting to kill you with his own hands.” 

“Ri-Rivaille,” Levi stammered.

I reached the pair and pulled off my coat. I pressed it over Levi’s hands. He grabbed it and pushed the fabric firmly against the wound. I caught Rivaille’s face and cradled it gently in my hands as I checked his breathing.

“He, he’s alive,” I murmured quietly as I looked up at Levi.

“How unfortunate,” Kenny tisked. 

“Fuck you,” Levi yelled. His body convulsed forward as he screamed the words and he glared viciously up at his uncle.

“The time for fucking has passed, Levi,” Kenny said with a dry laugh.

Levi flinched at his words. His face was an ashen gray. 

“I should have killed you that night,” Kenny said in a low voice. He shook his head slowly. “I should have just fucked you and killed you. That’s all you were ever good for; I don’t know why I had expected anything else from you.”

Kenny’s deluge of words continued, but my blood had begun to thunder in my ears. I could distantly hear Erwin’s voice. Levi’s quiet, shuddering sobs mixed with the blood pounding in my ears. My vision shifted, fluctuated. I lunged forward. My hand clasped Levi’s shoulder. I felt a gasp leave his body. I reached behind him and yanked the gun from the belt of his pants. I whipped around and opened fire on Kenny. He shouted wordlessly and instinctively fired his own guns. Bullets buried into his chest. I didn’t stop shooting until he dropped to the floor. I surged to my feet and spun toward Erwin.

The Wing’s boss was slouched back in his desk chair. The wall behind him was peppered with bullet holes. My blood was still burning in my veins. I stumbled across the room and leveled my gun at Erwin.

“You,” I hissed.

Erwin raised his head.

“This is your fault. This is your _fucking fault!_ ”

Erwin’s jaw tightened. His eyes flickered between the gun I held and the one he had on his desk.

“Eren!” Levi’s pained yell made me look around. “Forget about him,” he sobbed. “We need to get Rivaille to a fucking hospital. Please.” His face crumpled and tears dripped down his cheeks.

I dropped the gun to my side and turned around slowly.

“Please,” he repeated. “I, I can’t lose him. He’s my family; please.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Eren’s POV**

 

Levi was curled in the same chair he had occupied for the last three days. His torso lay on the hospital bed, his head nestled against Rivialle’s hip and his hands clutching Rivaille’s hand.

Rivaille lay completely still on the bed. The only indication of life was the fogging of the respirator mask. His face was ashen; his eyes sunken. His long hair fell free on the stark white pillow. Wires poured off his body, connecting to various machines. The heart monitor beeped softly, assuredly beside the bed.

Levi shifted slightly, curling closer to his cousin. He remained asleep. He hadn’t gotten any sleep in the last three days, and I wished I didn’t have to wake him. I moved quietly to his chair and rested a gentle hand on his back. A quiet hum left his lips. I began to stroke his back, coaxing him back to wakefulness. 

Levi’s eyes fluttered open. His forehead wrinkled in confusion. He sat up slowly and glanced around.

“Hey,” I murmured as I sat on the arm of the chair.

Levi looked over his shoulder at me. His eyes were rimmed with dark shadows. I really wished I could have let him sleep, but he could sleep on the train.

“It’s time,” I said. My hand ran up his back to the nape of his neck and I rubbed gently.

Levi’s eyes closed and he sighed quietly. After a moment, he opened his eyes again and nodded.

I stood up and Levi rose carefully from his chair. His eyes had returned to his cousin. He gazed down at Rivaille’s face. 

“We’ll see him again soon,” I assured Levi.

Levi nodded again. He hadn’t been much for talking these last few days. He gave Rivaille’s hand a light squeeze before turning from the bed and moving out of the hospital room.

I followed after him, falling into step beside him. His hand reached out and laced with mine. I smiled, ducking my head to hide the expression. It felt mildly inappropriate to be overjoyed in a hospital. 

A town car waited for us outside the hospital. It would take us to the train station and from there we would travel to a small town a few states away. Erwin had arranged an apartment for us there. The town’s hospital specialized in the care of comatose patients. Rivaille would be transported there by helicopter later today.

Erwin hadn’t been delighted, to say the least, that Levi had decided to leave the gang to look after his cousin, but our old boss knew all too well that he owed Levi this out. The war with the Warriors had fallen into a stalemate after Zeke’s plan to execute Erwin with Kenny failed.

“You didn’t have to come with me,” Levi said quietly as he settled into his seat beside me.

I looked over at him. He gazed at me. Despite his words, I could see deep in those eyes the gratitude he felt that I had chosen to go with him. Mikasa had chosen to stay with Erwin to see to the end their beef with the Warriors. Annie had turned herself over to the consolidated faction of the Rose Wings in an effort to win Mikasa’s forgiven. That would be a long time coming. Rivaille’s companion through these events, Farlan Church, had left the city to go his own separate way. After Rivaille had been brought to the hospital, Farlan had appeared. He had looked pretty set on putting Levi in the hospital morgue, but Levi, after convincing me to leave the room in an impressive feat of persuasion on his part, had had a long conversation with Farlan. Rivaille had convinced Farlan that Levi was responsible for the death of his lover. Levi had explained his side of the matter and left it to Farlan to decide who he believed. Farlan hadn’t voiced his decision; he had simply left, which felt like answer enough. 

“What else would I do?” I asked. I leaned toward Levi and cupped his cheek in my hand. “You’re my family.” 

Levi smiled. His head bowed forward and he rested his forehead against mine.

“I’m in love with you, Levi,” I murmured. While Levi had remained by Rivaille’s side for the last three days, I had spent my time hovering close by and thinking obsessively. The conclusion of my wonderings was what I had just voiced to Levi. In the back of my mind I had always known that the connection I felt with Levi qualified as love, but I hadn’t realized until I almost lost him that I was also _in_ love with him. 

Levi pushed forward and pressed his lips against mine. The kiss was brief, almost fleeting. He pulled back and stared up at me with shimmering eyes.

“Me too, Eren. I’m in love with you too.”

* * *

The town that was to be our new home was small with an almost intimate feel to it. All of the neighbors knew each other, knew everything about each other. They welcomed us into their folder warmly. Sometimes that felt a bit smothering, especially the amount of welcome dishes that were brought around the apartment, but I weirdly liked this sense of community. I ended up eating most of the food, since Levi had barely any appetite. He spent the majority of his days at the hospital with Rivaille. I visited with Levi as well some days. Levi would sit in silence staring at his cousin. I got anxious in the quiet so I took to telling Rivaille about the town. Levi would listen closely and smile or laugh at the comments I made about our neighbors. He learned about them through me since he barely interacted with them.

At night, Levi and I would fall into bed together, either to sleep or to…not sleep. Levi slowly took to bottoming for me regularly. The idea that he trusted me with everything proved how much he loved me, and may or may not have made me tear up a bit at the thought.

I found a job at a local bookstore. I didn’t know anything about books, but the owner of the store was one of our neighbors and had offered me the job when he’d found out that neither Levi nor I had any work in the town. He didn’t know that we didn’t need income to keep the apartment. Erwin saw to the finances of everything, including Rivaille’s medical bills. All the same, having a job lent some level of normalcy to my life, and I also got to tease Levi about being the housewife in the relationship. After one of my teasing jabs, Levi had asked me in a grumble if I wanted him to start making meals in a frilly apron. I had informed him that I wouldn’t mind this in the least as I continued to comb Rivaille’s hair. 

Levi, Rivaille, and I became something of a curiosity in the town. The neighbors knew we had moved from the city; one of our party was in a coma; and apparently, as I had overheard in the grocery store one day, Levi looked like he could kill a man with his pinky finger. No one needed to know that this was 1) true and 2) probably had happened at some point. Ridiculous rumors about our lives spread through the town. There were some whispers that we were in witness protection or had been mafia members. The latter was true of course, but the town seemed to prefer making up rumors over sticking to just a single one.

A particularly raunchy rumor that I had heard today claimed that Levi and Rivaille were high-class escorts whom I had rescued from a cruel client. Apparently Levi’s lethality didn’t discourage this sort of rumor. I heard this one in the grocery store, since that seemed to be the rumor mill of the town. The women who spoke of it in hushed voices shared their personal feelings on the matter; that Levi was really hot and neither of them would have qualms sleeping with him. I snorted loudly in laughter when I heard this, causing the women to look around in embarrassment. 

“Sorry, ladies,” I’d said as I put a carton of milk in my basket, “you’re not his type.” I had winked at them and left the aisle. 

After delivering the groceries to the apartment, I had headed to the hospital to see Levi and Rivaille. I was more than a little excited to tell Levi about this particularly laughable rumor. I also wanted to see his face when I told him the women thought he was hot.

The nurses recognized me and greeted me kindly as I moved to Rivaille’s room. I smiled and returned the greeting. Out of the two of us I was the one responsible for being friendly in the town. Levi always made a beeline to Rivaille’s room without seeming to notice the hospital staff, and he rarely spoke to our neighbors.

I found Levi in almost the same spot he’d occupied for the last four months: seated in the chair beside Rivaille’s bed. He always maintained contact with Rivaille in someway. Today he was holding his hand.

“Hey,” I said as I moved to the bed. I sat on the edge of the mattress by Levi’s chair.

“Hey,” he said. He leaned back and rested his head on my knee.

“I have a funny story to tell you.” I recounted the tale of the grocery store to Levi in an animated fashion.

He smiled and laughed through out it, and got a little full of himself when I told him the women wanted to sleep with.

“I told them they’re not your type,” I said with a laugh. 

“That’s true,” Levi said He sat up and pressed a quick kiss to my lips. 

“Aw, you guys are so cute.”

Levi jerked back and we both looked around hurriedly. Rivaille stared up at us. He was smiling weakly. Levi trembled beside me as he stared at his cousin.

“Hey, hey, Eren,” Rivaille said, though he continued to meet Levi’s gaze. “Did Levi ever wear the apron for you?”

Levi pushed to his feet. He dropped over Rivaille and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Rivaille huffed a small laugh.

"What was that for?" he asked as Levi straightened slightly.

"'Cause I love you," Levi murmured.

Rivaille's eyes widened. He glanced at me over Levi's shoulder. I grinned at him.

"He actually admits to that sort of this nowadays," I said. 

Levi tucked his head against Rivaille's shoulder.

"Nice," Rivaille said quietly. He turned and pressed his face against the top of Levi's head.

"I love you too, Levi."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the final chapter.... i hope people liked it and enjoyed the story overall now levi rivaille and eren will live together happily ever after yay!

**Author's Note:**

> title is ofc from heathens by tøp


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